Positive affect and the other side of coping

COVID-19 Pandemic as Subjective Repeated Strains and its Effects on Deviant Behavior in a Sample of Italian Youth

Although over the past 2 years several studies have been carried out on the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people, few of them investigated the pandemic as psychosocial strain and its effects on deviant behaviors. According to Agnew's General Strain Theory, a repeated objective psychosocial strain, such as the pandemic, exerts pressure on deviance when individuals associate with deviant peers and have weak attachment to parents. Using a sample of 568 young Italians (ages: 15-20 years; 65.8% females, 34.2% males) from north, central and south Italy, we tested for the possible correlation between COVID-19 as a repeated psychosocial strain, deviant behaviors and the role of some coping strategies not included in the Agnew's original theoretical formulation. Results back the thesis that, considering the COVID-19 pandemic as a repeated subjective strain, affect deviance results primarily through association with deviant peers and less through weak attachment with family. The mediating role of coping strategies was found to be weak. The predominant role of the peer group in the genesis of deviant responses to strain will be discussed.

Mapping a psychosocial syndemic among methamphetamine-using sexual minority men living with HIV

INTRODUCTION

While research with sexual minority men (SMM) has focused on disparities related to HIV, substance use and mental health, synergistic psychosocial pathways driving these epidemics remain underexplored. We used syndemic theory to assess how psychosocial factors sustain methamphetamine use and hinder recovery efforts for SMM living with HIV.

METHODS

A triangulation of network analyses and constructivist grounded theory approaches is utilised to elucidate pathways through which psychosocial factors influence methamphetamine use among this population. Survey data (N = 129) are used for quantitative analyses and a purposive sub-sample (n = 24) was recruited for semi-structured interviews for qualitative analyses.

FINDINGS

The network analysis revealed two statistically significant bivariate associations: between post-traumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms (b = 0.37, SD = 0.07, 95% confidence interval [0.23, 0.49]) and between depression symptoms and negative affect (b = 0.26, SD = 0.07, 95% confidence interval [0.12, 0.38]). Findings from the constructivist grounded theory analysis supplement the network analysis by offering a nuanced take on how negative affect, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression symptoms operate synergistically to promote methamphetamine use and impede recovery efforts.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Participants relay experiences of using methamphetamine to cope with these psychosocial factors through avoidance, escapism, mood elevation, and numbing of emotions. Findings suggest that centring these psychosocial factors may inform more effective, holistic interventions for this high-priority population.

Psychological autopsies: religious and spiritual factors for suicide in cases and controls

Introduction

In recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence supporting the notion that spirituality and religion can improve one's physical and mental health. Studies show that religion and spirituality play a significant role in the suicidal path. Considering the dearth of data on the patterns of suicidal thoughts, acts and related factors in Pakistan, a country with a large Muslim population and stigma with sociocultural perceptions of religious notions, the current study investigated the role of religious and spiritual factors of suicide using psychological autopsies.

Method

Purposive sampling was used to gather retrospective data records from police stations and hospital forensic departments in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan, between January 2021 and July 2022. In total, 60 samples (30 cases and 30 controls) were used in this autopsies investigation. As with the majority of case control studies, the study sample cases were matched with the controls. At least two close bereaved family members served as the primary information sources, and data was gathered using the Semi Structured Interview Protocol for Psychological Autopsies.

Results

According to statistical analysis, both the suicide cases and the controls were comprised mostly of Muslim individuals. They follow Islam and hold the view that suicide is prohibited, forbidden, and haram in Islam. Regarding spirituality and religion, the majority of cases, according to the respondents interviewed, were not spiritual at all, while the controls are slightly spiritual. While the majority of both cases and controls had reduced interest in or practice of religious activities over the past year, a higher number of cases rarely performed and attended the religious services/activities as compared to controls.

Discussion

It was thus evident that the cases lacked significant engagement in spiritual and religious activities, and their attendance at such gatherings had notably decreased in the year preceding the suicide attempt. This decline in involvement in spiritual and religious practices might be linked to decreased levels of satisfaction, sense of belongingness, which could raise the risk of suicide. Therefore, in nations where Muslims predominate, culturally relevant suicide prevention initiatives including spiritual and religious treatments aimed at reducing the risk of suicide should be considered.

A qualitative study of psychological stress and coping among persons using crack cocaine

BACKGROUND

Research has identified a strong link between stress and drug use behaviours. Also, it has been established that the prolonged use of crack cocaine stimulates emotional, cognitive, neurological and social changes. This paper explores the psychological stressors that occur from crack cocaine use and the coping mechanisms used to mitigate them. This will provide an understanding of the intricate relationship between substance use and psychological well-being.

METHODOLOGY

The study is qualitative and uses a descriptive phenomenological approach. The coping circumplex model is the theoretical model that underpins the study. Data was collected through 26 face-to-face in-depth semi-structured interviews with people who use crack cocaine. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants consisted of 15 males and 11 females between the ages of 24-57 years, guaranteeing multiplicity within the study sample.

RESULTS

Cravings, financial burdens, relationship breakdown and emotional /cognitive stimulation were revealed as psychological stressors. Maladaptive coping which includes self-harm, isolation, not speaking about/not dealing with emotions and using substances were adopted by study participants. Also, positive coping such as seeking help and keeping busy were adopted by study participants. Social and environmental factors such as stigma, easy accessibility of crack and flashbacks served as barriers to positive coping. Positive coping was linked to the availability and easy accessibility to social support and strong family bonds, underlining the importance of accessible support systems in managing the challenges linked with crack cocaine use.

CONCLUSION

The challenges faced by study participants in coping with the psychological stressors linked to their crack cocaine use highlight the importance of adopting personalised and comprehensive strategies to tackle the intricate dynamics between psychological stress, coping and crack cocaine use.

Linking social reward responsiveness and affective responses to the social environment: An ecological momentary assessment study

Social support is a key predictor of well-being, but not everyone experiences mental health benefits from receiving it. However, given that a growing number of interventions are based on social support, it is crucial to identify the features that make individuals more likely to benefit from social ties. Emerging evidence suggests that neural responses to positive social feedback (i.e., social reward) might relate to individual differences in social functioning, but potential mechanisms linking these neural responses to psychological outcomes are yet unclear. This study examined whether neural correlates of social reward processing, indexed by the reward positivity (RewP), relate to individuals' affective experience following self-reported real-world positive social support events. To this aim, 193 university students (71% females) underwent an EEG assessment during the Island Getaway task and completed a 10-day ecological momentary assessment where participants reported their positive and negative affects (PA, NA) nine times a day and the count of daily positive and negative events. Experiencing a higher number of social support positive events was associated with higher PA. The RewP moderated this association, such that individuals with greater neural response to social feedback at baseline had a stronger positive association between social support positive events count and PA. Individual differences in the RewP to social feedback might be one indicator of the likelihood of experiencing positive affect when receiving social support.

Positive Humor/Affection and Age Advantages in Affective Responses During the COVID-19 Pandemic. A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of people worldwide. However, even in times of prolonged exposure to extreme and new realities such as this pandemic, people are also able to experience positive emotions. To understand how people's emotional responses have changed over the course of the pandemic and what helps people to be positively engaged in perceiving negative situations as an opportunity to experience positive emotions, we conducted a three-wave longitudinal study in Spain. A total of 396 participants (Mage = 40.11, SD 12.66, 74% women) completed three waves of a web-based survey during the lockdown. Descriptive and correlational analyses, a repeated measures General Lineal Model, and 4 mixed effects models with a random effect on individuals were conducted to test hypotheses. Growth models revealed that positive and negative affect increased over time. Older people show more positive and less negative affectivity. Positive humor and affection coping strategies bolster positive emotions and buffer negative emotions over time in older participants. Older people who use more positive humor and affection experienced more positive emotions and decreased their levels of negative emotions over time. The different trajectories in positive and negative affect suggest age benefits in emotional regulation and a positive effect in older ages during the lockdown. Positive psychological interventions that boost a person's coping repertoire by helping them increase the experience of positive emotions may hold great promise aiding people to bolster their mental health in highly stressful and unexpected future crises.

Religion, culture, and cancer: insights from a qualitative study on coping experiences of Filipino patients

Introduction

Meaning-making coping is used by people with cancer to help them deal with the stress and emotional turmoil associated with their diagnosis. It is a multifaceted approach that can be influenced by cultural, existential, and personal factors. Research on meaning-making coping among Filipinos diagnosed with cancer is sparse. This study examines how a sample of Filipino people with cancer cope with their illnesses.

Methods

We employed a qualitative approach. The study involved 20 participants with various types of cancer in the Philippines who were selected through purposive sampling and agreed to be interviewed.

Results

The thematic analysis of the interviews revealed the application of both religious and secular meaning-making coping by participants. The study also confirmed the potential influence of culture on coping strategies.

Discussion

The results indicate that religion plays a significant role in Filipino coping mechanisms, given that the Philippines is predominantly a Christian nation. Additionally, the findings highlight the importance of close family ties in Filipino culture and how it contributes to coping with cancer.

Coping strategies of internally displaced persons and the host community in a region of armed conflict: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Conflict leads to the displacement of people, making it more difficult for them to cope with increasing stress. In war-affected regions, people use different strategies to cope with their stress. This study examines the coping strategies of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and those in host communities in war zones.

METHODS

People living in the IDP camp and host communities in Maiduguri, Nigeria were recruited using a convenient sampling strategy. A 28-item Hausa version of the Brief COPE Scale wasused for data collection. Data were analyzed using linear regression and presented as unstandardized beta (B) and standard error (SE).

RESULTS

A total of 562 participants were recruited (IDPs, n = 281; and the host communities, n = 281). Problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies were identified as the most common approaches used in host communities; however, dysfunctional strategies were morecommon among the IDPs. Age (younger or older adulthood) was identified as a predictor forthe use of emotion-, problem-, and dysfunctional-focused coping strategies.

CONCLUSION

Host communities were more likely to use a problem-and emotion-focused approach to coping, while IDPs were more likely to use dysfunctional strategies. Location and demographic factors (being single, aged 18-29years, >50 years and older) also influenced coping.

Supporting treatment adherence for resilience and thriving (START): protocol for a mHealth randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Although behavioral interventions show some promise for reducing stimulant use and achieving durable viral suppression in sexual minority men (SMM) with HIV, scalable mHealth applications are needed to optimize their reach and cost-effectiveness.

METHODS

Supporting Treatment Adherence for Resilience and Thriving (START) is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a mHealth application that integrates evidence-based positive affect regulation skills with self-monitoring of adherence and mood. The primary outcome is detectable HIV viral load (i.e., > 300 copies/mL) from self-collected dried blood spot (DBS) specimens at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include detectable DBS viral load at 12 months, self-reported stimulant use severity, anti-retroviral therapy (ART) adherence, and positive affect over 12 months. A national sample of up to 250 SMM with HIV who screen positive for stimulant use disorder and reporting suboptimal ART adherence is being recruited via social networking applications through April of 2024. After providing informed consent, participants complete a run-in period (i.e., waiting period) including two baseline assessments with self-report measures and a self-collected DBS sample. Those who complete the run-in period are randomized to either the START mHealth application or access to a website with referrals to HIV care and substance use disorder treatment resources. Participants provide DBS samples at baseline, 6, and 12 months to measure HIV viral load as well as complete self-report measures for secondary outcomes at quarterly follow-up assessments over 12 months.

DISCUSSION

To date, we have paid $117,500 to advertise START on social networking applications and reached 1,970 eligible participants ($59.77 per eligible participant). Although we identified this large national sample of potentially eligible SMM with HIV who screen positive for a stimulant use disorder and report suboptimal ART adherence, only one-in-four have enrolled in the RCT. The run-in period has proven to be crucial for maintaining scientific rigor and reproducibility of this RCT, such that only half of consented participants complete the required study enrollment activities and attended a randomization visit. Taken together, findings will guide adequate resource allocation to achieve randomization targets in future mHealth research SMM with HIV who use stimulants.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This protocol was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05140876) on December 2, 2021.

The Paradox in Positive and Negative Aspects of Emotional Functioning Among Older Adults with Early Stages of Cognitive Impairment

Introduction: Emotional functioning in older adults is influenced by normal aging and cognitive impairment, likely heterogeneous across positive versus negative aspects of emotional functioning. Little is known about positive emotional experiences at the early stages of cognitive impairment. Methods: We assessed different aspects of emotional functioning among 448 participants aged 65+ (Normal Control (NC) = 276, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) = 103, and mild dementia of the Alzheimer type (mild DAT) = 69) and tested moderators. Results: Compared to NC, older adults with MCI and mild DAT have maintained many positive aspects of emotional functioning, despite higher levels of negative affect, sadness, and loneliness. Among the oldest-old, the mild DAT group experienced higher fear and lower self-efficacy. Discussion: Older adults at early stages of cognitive impairment can experience positive aspects of emotional functioning, such as positive affect, purpose, and life satisfaction, all of which are important buildable psychological resources for coping.

From Survival to Growth - The Coping Experience of Mothers of Children with Disabilities During a Global Crisis: The Case of COVID-19

This study explored the coping experiences of mothers of children with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 mothers. The data were thematically analyzed to gain in-depth understanding of their coping experiences. The findings indicated that COVID-related restrictions disrupted the family routine and added a significant burden for the mothers as primary caregivers, and for the family system as a whole. Three distinct types of coping experiences arose from the analysis: surviving the crisis, controlling the crisis, and growing out of the crisis. Three key elements differentiated these three types: the perceptions of the meaning of the pandemic for parental roles and of the response of the education and welfare systems to the children's needs - in routine and during COVID-19; coping with the different pandemic challenges; and the implications of both COVID-19 and the mothers' coping strategies for the functional and emotional status of their children, themselves, and family relations. The results are discussed in light of models of family stress and coping, focusing on the tension between the mothers' caregiving role and maternal roles as warranting particular attention by professionals and policymakers.

A Daily Diary Investigation of the Fear of Missing Out and Diminishing Daily Emotional Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Cognitive Reappraisal

With modern societies becoming ever-increasingly interconnected due to technology and media, we have gained unprecedented access and exposure to other people's lives. This has resulted in a greater desire to constantly be socially connected with the activities of others, or the fear of missing out (FoMO). While much of the present available research has established the association between FoMO and diminished emotional well-being, little has been done to identify protective factors that can help one cope with the negative psychological consequences of FoMO. Utilizing data from a 7-day diary study of a large sample of young adults (N = 261), the current study aimed to examine the moderating role of cognitive reappraisal in attenuating diminished emotional well-being associated with FoMO. Multilevel modeling showed that cognitive reappraisal attenuated the day-to-day within-person associations between daily FoMO and indicators of daily emotional well-being such as negative affectivity, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

Narratives of Disconnection: A Life Course Perspective of Methamphetamine Use Among Sexual Minority Men Living with HIV

BACKGROUND

Sexual minority men (SMM) are exposed to societal and structural stressors that translate into poor health outcomes. One such outcome is substance use, which research has long documented as a prominent disparity among SMM. Methamphetamine is a particularly deleterious substance for SMM because its use is often framed as a coping response to social and structural stressors.

METHOD

Guided by stress and coping theory and a life course perspective, the purpose of this qualitative study is to assess the development of coping strategies in the context of prominent social and structural determinants among SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine.

RESULTS

Data were collected from 2016 to 2018 via in-depth interviews with 24 SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine in San Francisco, CA. Mean age of participants was 47 and over half self-identified as ethnoracial minorities. Narrative analysis surfaced a sequential pattern of disconnection at foundational, relational, and recovery levels. This analysis revealed that multi-level stressors were present across the life course that amplified engagement in methamphetamine use.

CONCLUSION

Findings highlight the benefits of holistic, integrated, and trauma-informed approaches to address the function of methamphetamine use as a response to societal, cultural, and institutional processes of stigmatization and discrimination. Peer-based approaches may also be beneficial to reframe the ways in which SMM living with HIV who use methamphetamine form and sustain relationships.

The effect of self-compassion on social media addiction among college students - The mediating role of gratitude: An observational study

In contemporary society, social media pervades every aspect of daily life, offering significant benefits such as enhanced access to information, improved interconnectivity, and fostering community among its users. However, its usage, particularly when excessive, can lead to negative psychological outcomes, including the prevalence of social media addiction (SMA) among adolescents. While extensive research has been conducted on the phenomenon of SMA, there is a notable paucity of studies examining the link between individual levels of self-compassion and susceptibility to SMA. This study aims to investigate the correlation between self-compassion and SMA in college students, while also examining the potential mediating influence of gratitude. The study sampled 1131 college students who engaged in an anonymous online survey. This survey utilized the Chinese translations of the Self-Compassion Scale, Gratitude Questionnaire, and SMA Scale. For data analysis, validated factor analysis was performed using IBM® SPSS® AMOS™ version 23. Correlation analyses were carried out with IBM® SPSS® version 22.0, and the PROCESS macro (Model 4) was employed to assess path and mediation effects. Higher levels of positive self-compassion were found to mitigate the effects of SMA, while elevated levels of negative self-compassion were associated with an increase in such addiction. The study further revealed that gratitude played a partial mediating role in the relationship between self-compassion and SMA. Specifically, positive self-compassion can reduce symptoms of SMA by enhancing levels of gratitude, whereas negative self-compassion may worsen these symptoms by diminishing gratitude. Positive self-compassion is instrumental in fostering personal growth among college students, with gratitude serving as a significant mediator in reducing SMA.

Exploring the relationship between coping styles and well-being among Chinese university students: A longitudinal study based on the transactional stress model

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, university students were exposed to increased stress, which significantly affected their well-being. This study examines the coping mechanisms employed by Chinese university students during this crisis, with a particular focus on the potential protective role of coping flexibility in maintaining their well-being. Using the transactional stress model and the dual-process theory of coping flexibility, this longitudinal study analyzed the responses of 206 Chinese university students at three measurement points in late 2022. The findings suggest that disruptions in daily life during the pandemic likely led students to engage in problematic internet use as a coping strategy, which subsequently led to reduced well-being. However, the study also shows that coping flexibility plays a crucial protective role in maintaining students' well-being. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing coping flexibility among university students, especially in the evolving post-pandemic landscape.

Reciprocal relationships between positive expectancies and positive emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-lagged panel study

INTRODUCTION

Previous research highlighted the importance of investigating distinct protective factors that predict the experience of positive emotions during stressful situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In this longitudinal study, we specifically focused on positive expectancies towards the future (optimism, response expectancy, and response hope) in relation to the experience of positive emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our primary objectives were to identify the best predictors for experiencing short-term and long-term positive emotions and investigate their interrelationships.

METHODS

Data from 271 participants (average age = 29.2 years, 84.7% female) were analyzed using four cross-lagged models.

RESULTS

Results showed that response expectancy was the best predictor for experiencing positive emotions in the short term, while optimism was the best predictor for experiencing positive emotions in the long term. Additionally, through further exploratory analysis, multiple bidirectional relationships were identified between positive expectancies and positive emotions.

DISCUSSION

Our results highlight the significant role played by positive expectancies in predicting the experience of positive emotions. Specifically, dispositional optimism emerged as a stronger predictor of longer-term positive emotions, whereas response expectancy proved to be a better predictor of shorter-term positive emotions. Thus, interventions targeting positive expectancies have the potential to enhance emotional functioning in individuals during challenging situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rejection Sensitivity and Reactive Aggression in Early Adults: The Mediating Role of Loneliness and Maladaptive Coping

Reactive aggression is an aggressive response to a perceived threat or provocation. It has detrimental effects on individuals and society. Rejection sensitivity, a disposition that one tends to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and intensely react to social rejection, has been associated with reactive aggression. Considering that the mechanism underlying this link remains unclear, this study explores the mediating role of loneliness and maladaptive coping. Participants included 1104 early adults between the ages of 17-23 (Mage = 20.35, SD = 1.11, 33.6% men) in China who completed the Chinese version of the Tendency to Expect Rejection Scale, Loneliness Scale, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, and Reactive-Active Aggression Questionnaire. The serial mediation model revealed that loneliness and maladaptive coping independently mediated the association of rejection sensitivity with reactive aggression. More importantly, the chain mediating effect of "loneliness-maladaptive coping" also accounted for this link. The above findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationships among these factors and suggested that rejection sensitivity could positively be related to reactive aggression through loneliness and maladaptive coping.

In the Interest of Time: Assessing the Role of Resilience Across an Intergenerational Sample of People Living with HIV

BACKGROUND

Biomedical advances have improved the quality of life of people living with HIV (PLWH); however, barriers to optimal well-being remain. A key feature in understanding the lived experiences of PLWH is resilience. The concept of resilience is quite complex in terms of its antecedents and expressions, suggesting the need for more nuanced understandings of how it could be harnessed to better support this population.

METHOD

The concept of resilience was explored in a qualitative study involving 22 PLWH, selectively sampled by era of diagnosis. Through interviews focused on context and experiences of living with HIV, the sample highlighted resilience processes corresponding to Positive reappraisal of life events, Positive reappraisal of self, and Community as resilience.

RESULTS

Participants who have lived with HIV longer more commonly described engaging in psychological processes of resilience, whereas those who were more recently diagnosed reported engaging in more social processes. However, these processes were not mutually exclusive and the ability to perform resilience through community seems to be key to optimizing outcomes, irrespective of era of diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

PLWH are a heterogeneous population where engagement in distinct processes of resilience may have important implications for optimal social and health outcomes. Better understanding of the distinct and diverse pathways through which PLWH engage in resilience may inform interventions promoting optimal well-being.

Exploring the relationship across autonomous motivation, affects, and anxiety among gym practitioners during the second COVID-19 lockdown

The present study explores the association of autonomous motivation and the relationship of positive and negative affect on anxiety levels among individuals engaged in gym practitioners during the second COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 196 exercisers (29.17 ± 10.77) were enrolled in the present study, of which 112 (57.1%) were women and 84 (42.9%) were men. The survey included sociodemographic data, as well as validated instruments measuring autonomous motivation, positive and negative affect, and anxiety states related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed a positive association between autonomous motivation and positive affect (β = 0.36, CI 0.12, 0.37; p < 0.001), and a negative association between autonomous motivation and negative affect (β = - 0.17, CI - 0.31, - 0.01; p = 0.03). Moreover positive, and negative affect are negatively (β = - 0.33, CI - 0.43, - 0.24; p < 0.001) and positively (β = 0.72, CI 0.57, 0.82; p < 0.001) associated to anxiety, respectively. Thus, this study appears to emphasize the association of autonomous motivation on affect as a potential buffer against anxiety levels, particularly in a context where practitioners found themselves restricted in their usual gym practices.

A latent profile analysis of doctors' joy in work at public hospitals

Introduction

When doctors' work stress increases, their joy in work decreases, severely affecting the quality of care and threatening patient safety. Analysis of the latent categories of joy in work of doctors in public hospitals and the differences in the characteristics of each category can help uncover hidden messages that enhance doctors' joy in work.

Methods

Questionnaires were administered to 426 doctors working in public hospitals using the general information questionnaire and the public hospital doctor's joy in work evaluation scale. Upon identifying their potential categories using latent profile analysis, chi-square test, and multinomial logistic regression were performed to analyze the differences in the characteristics of each category.

Results

The 426 public hospital doctors could be divided into three potential categories: "low joy in work" (11.27%), "medium joy in work" (59.86%), and "high joy in work" (28.87%). Most of the doctors did not have much joy in work, with 71.13% of them having "low to medium joy in work." Doctors who work in secondary or tertiary hospitals, have a personnel agency or contract, and are older than 45 years are more likely to belong to the "low joy in work" category. Some of the protective factors are having an average monthly income (RMB) of 10,001-15,000 yuan and having a fair or good self-rated health status.

Conclusion

There are obvious classification characteristics of doctors' level of joy in work. Hospital managers can take commensurate actions to improve their joy in work, thereby improving patient safety and the quality of medical services.

Resilience after combat: A prospective, longitudinal study of Marines and Navy Corpsmen

Resilience is common, yet our understanding of key biopsychosocial and environmental correlates is limited. Additionally, perceived resilience is often conflated with absence of psychiatric symptoms. Here we leverage prospective, longitudinal data from 1835 Marines and Navy Corpsmen to examine predictors of perceived resilience 3 months after a combat deployment, while controlling for pre-deployment and concurrent psychiatric symptoms. Marines and Corpsmen did not differ significantly on psychosocial or clinical factors, and 50.4% reported high perceived resilience after deployment. Across groups, the strongest predictors of post-deployment perceived resilience were pre-deployment perceived resilience, positive emotions, and social support. Concurrent depression was the only clinical symptom negatively associated with perceived resilience. Our findings suggest that perceived resilience is a multi-dimensional construct that involves both psychosocial and personality factors, including but not limited to low psychopathology. Notably, establishing strong social support networks and encouraging positive emotions may help promote resilience following deployment.

Impact of Moral Elevation on College Students' Sense of Meaning of Life: The Mediating Roles of Gratitude and Perceived Social Support

Purpose

The current study examined the association between moral elevation and college students' sense of meaning of life, along with the potential mediating effects of gratitude and perceived social support on this relationship.

Methods

Using the convenience sampling method, the Moral Elevation Scale, the Sense of Meaning of Life Questionnaire, the Gratitude Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used to conduct questionnaire surveys on 1088 college students (Mage=19.59 years, SD=1.46). SPSS25.0 data statistics software was used to analyze the data, and the PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to conduct the mediation effect test.

Results

(1) Moral elevation was significantly and positively associated with college students' sense of meaning of life (β = 0.43,p < 0.001). (2) Both gratitude and perceived social support partially mediated the relation between moral elevation and sense of meaning of life. The indirect effect of moral elevation on sense of meaning of life via gratitude was 0.11 (95% CI = [0.0709, 0.1453]), and the mediating effect accounted for 52.71%. The indirect effect of moral elevation on sense of meaning of life via perceived social support was 0.06 (95% CI = [0.0385, 0.0863]), and the mediating effect accounted for 29.41%. (3) Gratitude and perceived social support sequentially mediated the association between moral elevation and sense of meaning of life, the indirect effect through gratitude and perceived social support was 0.04 (95% CI = [0.0237, 0.0512]) and accounted for 17.88%.

Conclusion

This study revealed the chain mediating roles of gratitude and perceived social support in the relation between moral elevation and sense of meaning of life for Chinese college students, which is of great theoretical and practical significance for the formation of a positive sense of meaning of life and the cultivation of moral elevation among college students.

Individual and Neighborhood-level Socioeconomic Status and Somatic Mutations Associated With Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in the Women's Health Initiative

BACKGROUND

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), the expansion of leukemogenic mutations in white blood cells, has been associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and mortality.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the relationship between individual- and neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES) and CHIP and evaluated effect modification by interpersonal and intrapersonal resources.

METHODS

The study population included 10,799 postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative without hematologic malignancy or antineoplastic medication use. Individual- and neighborhood (Census tract)-level SES were assessed across several domains including education, income, and occupation, and a neighborhood-level SES summary z-score, which captures multiple dimensions of SES, was generated. Interpersonal and intrapersonal resources were self-reports. CHIP was ascertained based on a prespecified list of leukemogenic driver mutations. Weighted logistic regression models adjusted for covariates were used to estimate risk of CHIP as an odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

RESULTS

The interval-scale neighborhood-level SES summary z-score was associated with a 3% increased risk of CHIP: OR (95% CI) = 1.03 (1.00-1.05), p = .038. Optimism significantly modified that estimate, such that among women with low/medium and high levels of optimism, the corresponding ORs (95% CIs) were 1.03 (1.02-1.04) and 0.95 (0.94-0.96), pInteraction < .001.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that reduced risk of somatic mutation may represent a biological pathway by which optimism protects contextually advantaged but at-risk women against age-related chronic disease and highlight potential benefits of long-term, positive psychological interventions.

Decisional Regret Surrounding Dialysis Initiation: A Comparative Analysis

Rationale & Objective

Dialysis comes with a substantial treatment burden, so patients must select care plans that align with their preferences. We aimed to deepen the understanding of decisional regret with dialysis choices.

Study Design

This study had a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design.

Setting & Participants

All patients from a single academic medical center prescribed maintenance in-center hemodialysis or presenting for home hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis check-up during 3 weeks were approached for survey. A total of 78 patients agreed to participate. Patients with the highest (15 patients) and lowest decisional regret (20 patients) were invited to semistructured interviews.

Predictors

Decisional regret scale and illness intrusiveness scale were used in this study.

Analytical Approach

Quantitatively, we examined correlations between the decision regret scale and illness intrusiveness scale and sorted patients into the highest and lowest decision regret scale quartiles for further interviews; then, we compared patient characteristics between those that consented to interview in high and low decisional regret. Qualitatively, we used an adapted grounded theory approach to examine differences between interviewed patients with high and low decisional regret.

Results

Of patients invited to participate in the interviews, 21 patients (8 high regret, 13 low regret) agreed. We observed that patients with high decisional regret displayed resignation toward dialysis, disruption of their sense of self and social roles, and self-blame, whereas patients with low decisional regret demonstrated positivity, integration of dialysis into their identity, and self-compassion.

Limitations

Patients with the highest levels of decisional regret may have already withdrawn from dialysis. Patients could complete interviews in any location (eg, home, dialysis unit, and clinical office), which may have influenced patient disclosure.

Conclusions

Although all patients experienced disruption after dialysis initiation, patients' approach to adversity differs between patients experiencing high versus low regret. This study identifies emotional responses to dialysis that may be modifiable through patient-support interventions.

Resilience, Satisfaction with Life and Anxiety in the Israeli Population after Mass Vaccination for COVID-19

OBJECTIVES

The current study aimed to examine the relationships between resilience and personal characteristics such as socio-economic status, employment, satisfaction with life, and anxiety, during the period of returning to routine life after mass vaccination for COVID-19.

METHOD

993 Israeli participants, 52% female and 48% male, with a mean age of 40 years (18 to 89 years old) responded to an online questionnaire during March 2021. We hypothesized that (1) unemployed individuals and those with a low SES would have lower resilience, lower satisfaction with life and higher anxiety, (2) individuals who were ill with COVID-19 would have lower resilience and satisfaction with life and a higher level of anxiety, and (3) a higher resilience would be related to a lower level of anxiety.

RESULTS

The findings showed that unemployed individuals had lower levels of resilience and satisfaction with life and higher levels of anxiety than employed individuals. Specifically, those who experience a large gap between their socio-economic and employment statuses are at a greater risk than others. In addition, differences were found between people who had experienced COVID-19 illness and those who had not, but only with their satisfaction with life. People who had been ill were more satisfied than those who had not been ill. Eventually, as expected, a higher resilience was related to a lower level of anxiety, specifically at the lower levels of resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study can provide additional perspectives on the day after a crisis (COVID-19) and the need for the development of intervention programs to strengthen the resilience of individuals who experience a gap between their SES and employment statuses when returning to their routine life after a crisis. The study also shed light on the unique correlation between anxiety and resilience, implying that following a crisis, high-resilience individuals face their anxiety better than low-resilience individuals.

Factor structure of academic resilience among Polish and Ukrainian students involved in remote education caused by Covid-19 and military aggression

Academic resilience explains how students overcome various challenges or negative experiences that can hinder the learning process. The COVID pandemic as well as war conflicts might be significant factors affecting the structure of the academic resilience of students. This study attempted to assess the extent to which the Cassidy's construct of resilience can be used to interpret the behavior of other-Polish and Ukrainian samples, under remote education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russian military aggression against the Ukrainian civils. Second, the relationships between resilience and students' self-efficacy were estimated. To test the factor structure of the resilience exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. Assumed structure reproduced to a greater extent among Polish (83.4% similarity) than in Ukrainian respondents (from 27 to 40%) and it was three or two factors for Polish and Ukrainian students, respectively. General self-efficacy positively correlated with resilience both among Polish and Ukrainian respondents confirming the concurrent validity of the scale. The discovered differences were explained by differences in the historical and sociocultural experiences of the two nations. If among Ukrainian students historical and social experiences actually lead to the formation of a pattern of Perseverance in Overcoming Problems, then in the factor analysis, this pattern should be reproduced in the form of a single factor. At the same time, experiences with negative emotions should give a second-factor Negative affect and emotional response. The results obtained confirmed this assumption.

Childhood abuse and neglect and profiles of adult emotion dynamics

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is experienced by ∼40% of all children at major personal and societal costs. The divergent associations between emotional, physical, and sexual abuse or neglect in childhood and differences in adult emotional functioning and regulation were examined in terms of daily emotion intensity, variability, instability, inertia, and diversity, reported over 30 days by 290 Dutch aged 19-73. Participants described their abuse/neglect experiences retrospectively using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Dissecting CM effects on adult emotion dynamics may inform theories on the ontogenesis and functioning of emotions, on effects of abuse and neglect, to better understand (dys)functional emotional development, and to prevent their adverse sequelae. Structural equation models (SEM) showed that most types of CM were associated with specific patterns of emotion dynamics, and only emotional abuse had no unique effects on the emotional dynamic indices. Emotional neglect was associated with most measures of emotion dynamics (i.e., less intense, variable, unstable, and diverse emotions). Sexual abuse associated with increases and physical neglect decreases in negative affect variability and instability. Physical abuse was associated with inertia but with a small effect size. Social contact frequency did not mediate much of the relationship between CM types and emotion dynamics.

How do they cope? A national cross-sectional study of coping in hospital doctors in Ireland

OBJECTIVES

To measure coping strategies and associated psychological distress, burnout and work ability in hospital doctors in Ireland.

DESIGN

National cross-sectional study of randomised sample of trainee and consultant hospital doctors.

SETTING

Irish publicly funded hospitals and residential institutions.

PARTICIPANTS

1749 doctors returned surveys (55% response rate).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Dependent variables were psychological distress (measured using 12-item General Health Questionnaire), burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory) and work ability (single-item measure). Adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies (Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced) were covariates.

RESULTS

The coping mechanism most frequently reported by this cohort was the adaptive strategy of active planning. Increased mean hours worked (MHW) (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.03), a low Work Ability Score (OR 3.23; 95% CI 2.47 to 4.23) and maladaptive coping strategies (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.22 to 1.31) were significantly associated with psychological distress. Adaptive coping was associated with decreased psychological distress (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 1.00). Increased MHW (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97 to 0.99), insufficient work ability (OR 0.62; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.80) and maladaptive coping (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.85 to 0.89) were significantly associated with burnout. Increased MHW (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.98 to 1.00) and maladaptive coping (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.92) were significantly associated with insufficient work ability.

CONCLUSIONS

Adaptive coping is associated with decreased psychological distress but does not mitigate the effect of increased work hours, which are associated with burnout, distress and insufficient work ability, regardless of a doctor's coping style. The burden of psychological distress on doctors cannot be mitigated meaningfully unless workplace factors are addressed.

Functions of music, focused on the context of music listening, and psychological well-being in late adolescence regarding gender differences

Late adolescences, as a developmentally challenging transitional period between childhood and adulthood, provides a number of pressures that impact well-being of youth. Among approaches for facilitating well-being, music is reported to be one of the most effective ones, which was especially proven during Covid-19 pandemic. Given the significance of music and music listening in late adolescence, our study sought to examine the relationship between psychological well-being and music listening among university students (N = 603; Nfemale = 356, Nmale = 247) with a focus on the social, intrapersonal, and sociocultural context of music listening. The RESPECT music scale, the SPWB, and the PANAS were used to measure positive and negative affect as well as the six components of psychological well-being. The findings revealed that, while there were no gender differences in the sociocultural setting, females reported to listen to music more frequently than males in intrapersonal and social contexts. In two areas, female students rated their psychological well-being higher than male students: personal growth and positive relationships with others. They also reported experiencing positive and negative affect more frequently than men. Regression analyses revealed that the functions of music explained only a small amount of the variance in psychological well-being. Specifically, music listening in a social and sociocultural context significantly explained two aspects of psychological well-being: personal growth and positive relations with others. The intrapersonal context of music listening predicted a positive affect, while the social context predicted a negative affect. Our study highlights several implications of music listening in youth regarding gender either in everyday activities or in educational and clinical setting.

The association between satisfaction with life and anxiety symptoms among Chinese elderly: a moderated mediation analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have suggested that certain personal psychological variables (e.g., life satisfaction and cognitive function) and physical variables (e.g., body mass index [BMI]) are significantly associated with individuals' anxiety symptoms. However, relevant research on elderly is lagging and no studies have yet investigated the combined impact of these variables on anxiety. Thus, we conducted the present study to investigate the potential moderator role of BMI and the potential mediator role of cognitive function underlying the relationship between life satisfaction and anxiety symptoms in Chinese elderly based in Hong Kong.

METHODS

Sixty-seven elderly aged 65 years old and above were recruited from the local elderly community centres in this pilot study. Each participant underwent a systematic evaluation using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Hong Kong Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (HK-MoCA), and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) and were measured for their body weight and height. Regression analysis using the bootstrapping method was employed to test the hypothesized moderated mediation model.

RESULTS

Our findings demonstrated the overall model accounted for 23.05% of the variance in scores of HAM-A (F (8, 57) = 2.134, p = 0.047) in Chinese elderly. There was a significant association between life satisfaction and anxiety symptoms (p = 0.031), indicating that individuals with higher life satisfaction were associated with less anxiety symptoms. Moreover, this relationship was positively moderated by BMI (b = 0.066, 95% CI [0.004, 0.128]), especially in Chinese elderly with BMI at a lower level (b = -0.571, 95% CI [-0.919, -0.224]) and an average level (b = -0.242, 95% CI [-0.460, -0.023]). No significant mediator role was detected for cognitive function (b = -0.006, 95% CI [-0.047, 0.044]) in our model.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that increased life satisfaction can reduce anxiety symptoms among Chinese elderly as their BMI decreases (when BMI ranged between "mean - 1SD" and "mean" of the population). The significant interaction between psychological and physical factors underlying anxiety symptoms found in this study, presents a promising opportunity for translation into multi-level psychological and physical interventions for the management of anxiety in ageing patients during clinical practice.

Coping strategies for chronically ill children and adolescents facing the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

to understand the experiences and coping strategies of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

a descriptive study, with a qualitative approach, carried out with six children and adolescents at the reception of an outpatient clinic of a pediatric hospital in the state of Ceará. Data collection took place from April to September 2021, using story-drawing, analyzed in light of Coutinho's criteria.

RESULTS

two thematic categories emerged: Situations experienced by children and adolescents in times of COVID-19; Coping strategies for children and adolescents in their chronic illness process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

understanding the experiences and coping strategies of children and adolescents with chronic illness demonstrated the expression of creative imagination, incorporated by subjective components, which brings to light an approximation with the reality perceived and interpreted in a context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meaning and Purpose (MaP) therapy in advanced cancer patients: a randomised controlled trial

PURPOSE

We aimed to examine the efficacy of Meaning and Purpose (MaP) Therapy in promoting posttraumatic growth and meaningful life attitudes (choices and goal seeking) in people living with advanced cancer.

METHODS

Patients with a prognosis ≥ 1 year were stratified across two sites and randomised to receive MaP therapy and regular oncology/palliative care (Intervention) or usual care (Control). They completed measures at baseline (t0), post-intervention (12 weeks, t1) and 12 weeks later (t2). Our primary outcome was posttraumatic growth (PTGI); secondary outcome measures included life attitudes (LAPR), spiritual wellbeing (FACIT-Sp), anxiety, demoralization and depression.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12618001751268, 7 January 2019.

RESULTS

We consented 107 from 404 eligible patients (26.5%) and randomised 55 to MaP Invention (35 completing t1, 25 t2) and 52 to Control (32 completing t1, 25 t2). Fidelity of the intervention was sustained. PTGI mean scores were significantly higher post-intervention on analysis by covariance (Cohen's d = 0.7 at t1 & d = 0.5 at t2). Secondary measures were significant, including LAPR (d = 0.4) and FACIT-Sp (meaning subscale d = 0.4; total d = 0.4). Participants completing six sessions achieved more noteworthy effect sizes.

CONCLUSION

This brief, structured individual intervention shows promise for sustaining sense of coherence, meaning and choices in life despite living with advanced cancer.

Psychometric Properties of a New Mexican Optimism Scale: Ethnopsychological Approach

BACKGROUND

In this paper, a Mexican Optimism Scale was constructed to investigate and estimate psychometric properties (reliability and validity based on the measurement model). The convergent validity and validity criterion were evaluated for a sample of young Mexicans.

METHODS

The scale was presented to 848 Mexican young people aged between 17 and 30 years from three different regions of Mexico. The scale was reduced to 20 items on the basis of CFA and analyses of internal consistency.

RESULTS

The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) suggested a three-factor structure of optimism: affective resources, positive vision and hope. The data provided evidence for convergent validity with positive affect, negative affect and coping. Additionally, males scored higher on affective resources and positive vision than females. Finally, the results support the reliability of the instrument.

CONCLUSIONS

The psychometric properties of the Mexican Optimism Scale proved to be highly acceptable and allow for a novel assessment of optimism from an ethnopsychological perspective. Validity, reliability and invariance were determined, as well as percentiles for the practical use of the scale. This scale may be of crucial importance for future research on optimism and health.

Do human work interruptions bring positive affective responses?-Based on the mediation of coping potential and the moderation of polychronicity

This research aims to investigate the impact of human work interruptions on positive affective responses and their underlying mechanisms in the Chinese context. In the first stage, this study conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 29 employees representing diverse industries. The grounded theory research method was used to extract the construct of human work interruption, identify its core attributes, and capture the naturally emerging storyline of "human work interruptions - coping potential - polychronicity - positive affective responses". In the second stage, a theoretical model was constructed and validated using 362 questionnaires. The results indicate that in the Chinese context: (1) human work interruptions can trigger positive affective responses; (2) coping potential mediates the relationship between human work interruptions and positive affective responses; (3) when individuals have a higher level of polychronicity, the impact of human work interruptions on positive affective responses via coping potential is enhanced. The findings of this study effectively address the hypothesis of the "positive aspect" of work interruptions proposed by management scholars and contribute to the existing literature on work interruptions and positive affective responses. Moreover, this research provides practical and theoretical implications for managers and employees in managing and coping with human work interruptions.

Adolescent Psychosocial Adjustment during COVID-19: An Intensive Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVE

COVID-19 has presented threats to adolescents' psychosocial well-being, especially for those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This longitudinal study aimed to identify which social (i.e., family conflict, parental social support, peer social support), emotional (i.e., COVID-19 health-related stress), and physical (i.e., sleep quality, food security) factors influence adolescents' same- and next-day affect and misconduct and whether these factors functioned differently by adolescents' economic status.

METHOD

Daily-diary approaches were used to collect 12,033 assessments over 29 days from a nationwide sample of American adolescents (n =546; Mage = 15.0; 40% male; 43% Black, 37% White, 10% Latinx, 8% Asian American, and 3% Native American; 61% low-income) at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

Peer support, parent support, and sleep quality operated as promotive factors, whereas parent-child conflict and COVID-19 health-related stress operated as risk factors. Although these links were consistent for adolescents irrespective of economic status, low-income adolescents experienced more conflict with parents, more COVID-19 health-related stress, less peer support, and lower sleep quality than higher-income adolescents. Food insecurity was connected to decreased same- and next-day negative affect for low-income adolescents only. Low-income adolescents also displayed greater negative affect in response to increased daily health-related stress relative to higher-income adolescents.

CONCLUSION

These results highlight the role of proximal processes in shaping adolescent adjustment and delineate key factors influencing youth psychosocial well-being in the context of COVID-19. By understanding adolescents' responses to stressors at the onset of the pandemic, practitioners and healthcare providers can make evidence-based decisions regarding clinical treatment and intervention planning for youth most at risk for developmental maladjustment.

Gender, life events, and mental well-being in emerging adulthood

BACKGROUND

Emerging adulthood is a critical period of life involving many life transitions that may generate stress and compromise health and mental well-being.

AIMS

To know the most frequent life events of women and men in emerging adulthood, analyzing also the relevance that such stressors have on their psychological well-being and life satisfaction. A second aim is to determine the relevance of age, educational level, most frequent life events, coping styles, and perceived social support as risk and protective factors for well-being.

METHOD

The sample consisted of 2,000 individuals from the general Spanish population (55% women), aged between 18 and 29, who were assessed using five questionnaires and scales measuring life events, coping styles, life satisfaction, psychological well-being, and social support.

RESULTS

The findings showed that 90% of the sample had experienced one or more life events during the previous year and that a higher number of life events experienced over the past year was associated with lower mental well-being. Multiple regression analyses made clear that, although some events experienced in the previous year (namely, family conflicts and change in the relationship with parents) were associated with lower women's and men's well-being, the most important determinants of well-being in either gender were coping styles; however, some predictors of women's well-being proved different from those of men. In the case of women, family and intimate partner conflicts predicted lower life satisfaction and psychological well-being was lower in the case of family conflicts. As for men, work or academic life events predicted lower life satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

These research findings are relevant for the design of programs and strategies to improve mental well-being in emerging adulthood.

How Family-Supportive Leadership Communication Enhances the Creativity of Work-From-Home Employees during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Adapting to the remote working environment has been one of the most visible challenges for many organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. As employee creativity helps organizations' survival and resilience during times of crisis, this study aims to examine the role of leadership communication, family-supportive leadership communication in particular, in fostering creativity among work-from-home employees. The current study specifically focuses on the mediating processes in this relationship and the moderating role of employees' work-life segmentation preferences, using a survey of 449 employees who have worked from home during the COVID-19 outbreak. The results showed that employee-organization relationship (EOR) quality, positive affect, and work-life enrichment mediate the relationship between family-supportive leadership communication and employee creativity. The effects of family-supportive leadership communication on employees' positive affect and work-life enrichment were more prominent for those who prefer to segment their work and lives. This paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for leadership in organizational communication.

Social participation, psychological resilience and depression among widowed older adults in China

BACKGROUND

Depression has become a challenging public health problem, and the loss of a spouse is one of the main causes of depression in older adults. Social participation and psychological resilience are protective factors that reduce depressive symptoms in adults. The purpose of this study was to explore the influences of social participation and psychological resilience on the depression of Chinese widowed older adults.

METHODS

We carried out a cross-sectional study on 790 community-dwelling widowed older adults in Shaanxi, China, in 2019. A structured face-to-face interview was used to collect data. We used the ordinary least squares model (OLS), the generalized propensity score matching (GPSM) and the mediation model to test the relationship between social participation, psychological resilience and depression.

RESULTS

We find a U-shaped relationship between social participation and depression, with the increase in social participation scores, the average depression level decreased and then increased. The psychological resilience of the widowed older adults was negatively associated with depression. The higher their psychological resilience, the lower their depression level. Among the four factors of psychological resilience, factor 2 (optimism and positive acceptance of change) and factor 3 (secure relationships and tolerance of negative affect) of psychological resilience were protective factors for depression after adjusting for demographic variables and physical health conditions. Psychological resilience plays a mediating role, as evident in factor 2 and factor 3 mediating the relationship between social participation and depression.

CONCLUSION

An appropriate level of social participation will relieve the depression of widowed older adults. Social participation can reduce the depression level of widowed older adults by improving their psychological resilience. Community and family could reduce depression by intervening in the social participation of widowed older adults. Active social participation is crucial because it has a protective and resilient impact, which can help people recover from the stress of losing a spouse.

Pre-pandemic mental health and coping strategy usage during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional analysis of the Southern Cities Study

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the usage of coping strategies recommended by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether coping strategy usage varies by pre-pandemic mental health. This study examined the prevalence of different coping strategies and associations of their usage with pre-pandemic mental health.

METHODS

Data were collected from adults residing in metropolitan areas of the U.S. South in May/June 2020 using random-digit-dialing and web-based surveys (n = 1,644). We estimated the prevalence of each coping strategy: (1) keeping up-to-date about COVID-19; (2) taking breaks from the news or social media; (3) taking care of physical health; (4) engaging in relaxing activities; (5) reaching out to and spending time with others; and (6) trying to find comfort in religious or spiritual beliefs. We examined the association between the use of each strategy and pre-pandemic mental health using modified Poisson regression, adjusting for covariates. We also analyzed the association between pre-pandemic mental health and the number of coping strategies employed using ordered logistic regression.

RESULTS

The most prevalent strategies were: "keeping up-to-date about COVID-19" (53%), "taking care of physical health" (52%), and "reaching out to and spending time with others" (52%). Good pre-pandemic mental health was associated with an increased prevalence of "reaching out to and spending time with others" (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.91). The use of other coping strategies and the number of coping strategies used during the pandemic did not vary by pre-pandemic mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that people who had good pre-pandemic mental health were more likely to connect with other people during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the well-documented impact of social support on mental health in disaster contexts, efforts to promote safe social connections for those with pre-existing mental health concerns are needed.

Trait-Anxious People Take Longer to Search for Happy Faces in the Presence of Neutral and Fearful Distractors

A large body of evidence suggests that processing of affective information is typically disrupted in anxiety. It has also been hypothesized that anxious individuals are less able to evaluate contextual cues and to respond in an adaptive way to stress. In the present study, 25 participants (16 females; 9 males) scoring high (scores of 45 or above) and 26 participants (13 females; 13 males) scoring low (scores of 35 and below) on a standardized measure of trait anxiety performed an emotion search task to investigate attentional biases when the task provides an explicit emotional context. An emotional context was set in each block by asking participants to look as quickly as possible at a face expressing a specific emotion, while eye movements were being recorded. On each trial, two faces appeared, one of them expressing the target emotion and the other one expressing a distractor emotion. High trait-anxious participants showed slower response times (time to look at the instructed emotion), regardless of the affective context, compared to the control group. Additionally, we found slower responses to happy faces (positive context) in the anxious group in the presence of neutral and fearful distractors. Cognitive control may therefore be disrupted in anxiety, as anxious people take longer to process (search for) happy faces, presumably because attentional resources are drawn by neutral and fearful distractors. Those differences were not observed in a simple reaction times task, which suggests that attentional biases, and not differential processing of low-level facial features, are responsible for those differences.

Positive Psychological Intervention Delivered Using Virtual Reality in Patients on Hemodialysis With Comorbid Depression: Protocol and Design for the Joviality Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Depression is highly prevalent in individuals on hemodialysis, but it is infrequently identified and remains undertreated. In this paper, we present details of the methodology of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) aimed at testing the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 5-week positive psychological intervention in individuals on hemodialysis with comorbid depression delivered using immersive virtual reality (VR) technology.

OBJECTIVE

We aim to describe the protocol and design of the Joviality trial whose main objectives are 2-fold: determine the feasibility of the Joviality VR software through metrics capturing rates of recruitment, refusal, retention, noncompliance, and adherence, as well as end-user feedback; and assess preliminary efficacy for outcomes measures of depressive symptoms, psychological well-being and distress, quality of life, treatment adherence, clinical biomarkers, and all-cause hospitalizations.

METHODS

This 2-arm RCT is scheduled to enroll 84 individuals on hemodialysis with comorbid depression from multiple outpatient centers in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Enrollees will be randomized to the following groups: VR-based Joviality positive psychological intervention or sham VR (2D wildlife footage and nature-based settings with inert music presented using a head-mounted display). To be eligible, individuals must be on hemodialysis for at least 3 months, have Beck Depression Inventory-II scores of ≥11 (ie, indicative of mild-to-severe depressive symptoms), be aged ≥21 years, and be fluent in English or Spanish. The Joviality VR software was built using agile design principles and incorporates fully immersive content, digital avatars, and multiplex features of interactability. Targeted skills of the intervention include noticing positive events, positive reappraisal, gratitude, acts of kindness, and mindful or nonjudgmental awareness. The primary outcomes include metrics of feasibility and acceptability, along with preliminary efficacy focused on decreasing symptoms of depression. The secondary and tertiary outcomes include quality of life, treatment adherence, clinical biomarkers, and all-cause hospitalization rates. There are 4 assessment time points: baseline, immediately after the intervention, 3 months after the intervention, and 6 months after the intervention. We hypothesize that depressive symptoms and hemodialysis-related markers of disease will substantially improve in participants randomized to the VR-based Joviality positive psychology treatment arm compared with those in the attention control condition.

RESULTS

This RCT is funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and is scheduled to commence participant recruitment in June 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

This trial will be the first to test custom-built VR software to deliver a positive psychological intervention, chairside, in individuals on hemodialysis to reduce symptoms of depression. Within the context of an RCT using an active control arm, if proven effective, VR technology may become a potent tool to deliver mental health programming in clinical populations during their outpatient treatment sessions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05642364; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05642364.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/45100.

The Role of Emotional Regulation in the Relationship between Nurses' Creative Style and Innovation Behaviors: A Cross-Sectional Study

Innovation is crucial to an effective healthcare system, and nurses are key figures in the innovation process. A potential factor behind innovation in nursing is the creative style of nurses. Creativity is an essential component of innovation. However, the relationship between creative style and innovation is complex and involves many different factors. Among them, given the nature of the nursing profession, we propose emotional regulation, or the ability to effectively manage one's emotions. In this study, we hypothesize that two specific emotion-regulation strategies, positive reappraisal and putting into perspective, play a role in the relationship between nurses' creative style and innovative behaviors. We tested a moderated mediation model using cross-sectional data from 187 nurses working in 3 university hospitals in Bojnord, Iran, in 2019. Our results show that positive reappraisal completely mediates the relationship between creative style and innovative behaviors, while putting into perspective moderates the relationship between positive reappraisal and innovative behaviors. These results suggest that nurses with a flair for creativity may be able to implement innovative behaviors in the workplace due to their ability to understand work-related situations and events positively. This may be especially true for nurses who can adopt alternative viewpoints. Our study discusses these findings by highlighting the importance of emotional regulation mechanisms in transforming nurses' creativity into effective innovation. Finally, we provide suggestions for healthcare organizations to promote innovation as an added value in the healthcare environment and services provided.

Motivational decline and proactive response under thermal environmental stress are related to emotion- and problem-focused coping, respectively: Questionnaire construction and fMRI study

Despite the diversity of human behavioral and psychological responses to environmental thermal stress, the major dimensions of these responses have not been formulated. Accordingly, the relevance of these responses to a framework of coping with stress (i.e., emotion- and problem-focused) and the neural correlates are unexplored. In this study, we first developed a multidimensional inventory for such responses using social surveys and a factor analysis, and then examined the neural correlates of each dimension using a functional magnetic resonance imaging; we manipulated the ambient temperature between uncomfortably hot and cold, and the correlations between the inventory factor scores and discomfort-related neural responses were examined. We identified three factors to construct the inventory: motivational decline, proactive response, and an active behavior, which appeared to reflect inefficient emotion-focused coping, efficient problem-focused coping, and positive appreciation of extreme environmental temperatures, respectively, under environmental thermal stress. Motivational decline score was positively associated with common neural response to thermal stress in the frontal and temporoparietal regions, implicated in emotion regulation, while proactive response score negatively with the neural responses related to subjective discomfort in the medial and lateral parietal cortices, implicated in problem-solving. We thus demonstrated that two of three major dimensions of individual variation in response to and coping with environmental thermal stress conform to an influential two-dimensional framework of stress coping. The current three-dimensional model may expand the frontiers of meteorological human science in both basic and application domains.

Dispositional Mindfulness and Positive Mindset in Emerging Adult College Students: The Mediating Role of Decentering

Emerging adulthood is often recognized as a time of uncertainty, confusion, pressure, and stress. This time period also coincides in the Western world with attending college. Many emerging adults arrive at this developmental stage feeling the pressure and obligation for success, but lack the interpersonal resources needed to make required choices. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into the psychological and mental state of this particular group by focusing on mechanisms of self-awareness and its connection to psychological health. The present study examines whether an indirect path could explain the relationships between mindfulness, positive thinking, and positive affect. Path analysis was used to test whether decentering fosters positive thinking and positive affect. Participants were surveyed for dispositional mindfulness, frequency of positive and negative feelings, positive thinking, and rumination. Results show decentering mediates between mindfulness and positive affect but does not mediate between mindfulness and positive thinking. Rumination counteracts the effects of mindfulness and predicts negative affect.

The Relationship Between Effort-Reward Imbalance and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Firefighters: Moderating by Coping Styles

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to examine the association between effort-reward imbalance (ERI) and depressive symptoms among Chinese firefighters and the moderating role of positive and negative coping styles in the above association.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study including 1328 male firefighters was conducted in China. We adopted the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale to measure depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Results showed that ERI was associated with depressive symptoms. Individuals with a higher ERI ratio and greater overcommitment were likely to have higher level of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, negative coping style strengthened the relationship between ERI ratio and overcommitment with depressive symptoms, whereas the positive coping style presented none significant moderation.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that reforming the effort-reward system might be helpful for mental health promotion among Chinese firefighters.

Valence-partitioned learning signals drive choice behavior and phenomenal subjective experience in humans

How the human brain generates conscious phenomenal experience is a fundamental problem. In particular, it is unknown how variable and dynamic changes in subjective affect are driven by interactions with objective phenomena. We hypothesize a neurocomputational mechanism that generates valence-specific learning signals associated with 'what it is like' to be rewarded or punished. Our hypothesized model maintains a partition between appetitive and aversive information while generating independent and parallel reward and punishment learning signals. This valence-partitioned reinforcement learning (VPRL) model and its associated learning signals are shown to predict dynamic changes in 1) human choice behavior, 2) phenomenal subjective experience, and 3) BOLD-imaging responses that implicate a network of regions that process appetitive and aversive information that converge on the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex during moments of introspection. Our results demonstrate the utility of valence-partitioned reinforcement learning as a neurocomputational basis for investigating mechanisms that may drive conscious experience.

An 8-Week Peer Health Coaching Intervention among College Students: A Pilot Randomized Study

This study explored the effects of an 8-week peer coaching program on physical activity (PA), diet, sleep, social isolation, and mental health among college students in the United States. A total of 52 college students were recruited and randomized to the coaching (n = 28) or the control group (n = 24). The coaching group met with a trained peer health coach once a week for 8 weeks focusing on self-selected wellness domains. Coaching techniques included reflective listening, motivational interviews, and goal setting. The control group received a wellness handbook. PA, self-efficacy for eating healthy foods, quality of sleep, social isolation, positive affect and well-being, anxiety, and cognitive function were measured. No interaction effects between time and group were significant for the overall intervention group (all p > 0.05), while the main effects of group difference on moderate PA and total PA were significant (p < 0.05). Goal-specific analysis showed that, compared to the control group, those who had a PA goal significantly increased vigorous PA Metabolic Equivalent of Task (METs) (p < 0.05). The vigorous METs for the PA goal group increased from 1013.33 (SD = 1055.12) to 1578.67 (SD = 1354.09); the control group decreased from 1012.94 (SD = 1322.943) to 682.11 (SD = 754.89); having a stress goal significantly predicted a higher post-coaching positive affect and well-being, controlling the pre-score and other demographic factors: B = 0.37 and p < 0.05. Peer coaching showed a promising effect on improving PA and positive affect and well-being among college students.

Considerations for Advancing the Conceptualization of Well-being

In this commentary, we raise several points regarding Park and colleagues' emotional well-being framework. First, we question whether the term emotional well-being is appropriate and whether a new framework is necessary, and we argue that the field may be better served through other efforts, such as clarifying the distinctions between different well-being constructs and providing guidance on best practices for measurement and intervention. In addition, we note that by placing well-being on the opposite end of the spectrum from despair and depression, Park and colleagues have overlooked the influences of stress, distress, and life challenges on shaping positive aspects of well-being, and vice versa. Furthermore, we challenge the conceptualization of well-being as encompassing how positive an individual feels generally and about life overall. In its current form, this definition of well-being is overly static and trait-like, whereas a process-oriented conceptualization would more closely align with how well-being unfolds in real-life contexts and would be more suitable for identifying mechanistic targets for intervention. Finally, we raise the concern that the process for developing this definition of well-being did not actively involve input from diverse communities that have historically been disserved and underrepresented in research, practice, and policy. The cultural differences in constituents of well-being as well as evidence demonstrating that key positive psychological constructs (e.g., positive affect, sense of control) are less health-protective in racial/ethnic minorities than in whites necessitate greater integration of perspectives from underrepresented communities to build a more inclusive and accurate understanding of well-being.

Percepção de Codependência e Estratégias de Enfrentamento de Familiares de Usuário de Drogas

Introdução: O uso de drogas acarreta danos aos familiares de usuários. O objetivo deste artigo foi analisar a percepção de codependência e dos impactos da drogadição e as estratégias de enfrentamento dos familiares de usuários de substâncias psicoativas. Método: Estudo qualitativo exploratório, com 16 familiares de dependentes químicos integrantes de um grupo da Cruz Azul do Brasil, entidade sem fins lucrativos, que realiza um trabalho social cristão diacrônico visando ajudar dependentes do álcool e de outras drogas, seus familiares e outras pessoas afetadas direta ou indiretamente. Uma entrevista semiestruturada foi realizada e analisada a partir da Análise de Conteúdo. Resultados: Houve predomínio de mulheres (93,8%), com ensino superior, e 50% dos cuidadores eram companheiros/as. As vivências emocionais dos familiares foram associadas à autorresponsabilidade, autocrítica e autossacrifício. Como estratégias de enfrentamento, foram identificados o grupo de apoio da Cruz Azul, a rede de apoio e a espiritualidade/religiosidade. Discussão: Ao vivenciarem a doença do usuário, arriscam-se a adoecerem juntos, seja por um processo de codependência, seja por doenças psicossomáticas e psicológicas. Conclusão: Intervenções incluindo os familiares dos usuários e com profissionais de equipe multidisciplinar seriam importantes para promoção da saúde dos envolvidos.