Social support, psychological flexibility and coping mediate the association between COVID-19 related stress exposure and psychological distress

Psychological maltreatment, meaning-centered coping, psychological flexibility, and suicide cognitions: A moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

Mental health problems are currently diversifying, increasing the possibility of suicide. Exposure to psychological maltreatment is one of the factors that increases suicidal cognitions. In addition, psychological flexibility and meaning-centered approaches may be effective in coping with suicidal cognitions.

OBJECTIVE

A hypothesized model was tested to examine the relationships among psychological maltreatment, suicidal cognitions, psychological flexibility, and meaning-centered coping.

METHOD

Data were collected from a sample of 652 participants. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted to examine the mediating and moderating role of psychological flexibility and meaning-centered coping in the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and suicide cognitions among Turkish adults.

RESULTS

The results of the study indicated significant negative and positive relationships between psychological maltreatment, suicide cognitions, psychological flexibility, and meaning-centered coping. The findings suggest that psychological flexibility and meaning-centered coping have a serial mediating effect on the relationship between psychological maltreatment and suicide cognitions. Furthermore, according to the study results, psychological flexibility plays a moderating role both between psychological maltreatment and suicidal cognitions and between meaning-centered coping and suicidal cognitions.

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggests that psychological maltreatment can be considered as a risk factor and meaning-centered coping and psychological flexibility as protective factors in suicide prevention studies.

Validation of the Chinese version of the Oslo-3 Social Support Scale among nursing students: a study based on Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory models

BACKGROUND

Nursing students are encountering a range of health issues. Assessing social support is a key component in most questionnaire surveys related to health status, aiming to investigate the relationships and mechanisms between health status and social support to enhance overall health. Therefore, it is essential to seek out appropriate instruments to evaluate social support for nursing students. The Oslo-3 Social Support Scale (OSSS-3) is a reliable and concise instrument for evaluating social support. To date, there have been no studies validating the OSSS-3 based on Item Response Theory (IRT) models. Also, an officially validated Chinese version has not been found. The current research intended to verify the Chinese version of the OSSS-3.

METHODS

The OSSS-3 was translated into Chinese and culturally adapted. Subsequently, the OSSS-3 was validated by employing the Classical Test Theory (CTT) and IRT models.

RESULTS

The split-half reliability was 0.622. The Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.687. The correlations between each item and total scores varied from 0.723 to 0.835. The retest coefficient was 0.907. The content validity index was 0.933. A single common factor was extracted and accounted for 61.559% of the variance. The item loading values on the single factor were between 0.743 and 0.814. The communalities were between 0.552 and 0.663. There was no variance between males and females (P = 0.055). The difference in scores between the top (30%) and bottom (30%) groups attained significance. IRT models results revealed that the discrimination parameters ranged from 1.39 to 2.33 and difficulty parameters increased monotonically.

CONCLUSION

The OSSS-3 demonstrates satisfying psychometric properties and is a proper instrument for measuring social support in Chinese nursing students.

Role of self-esteem and personal mastery on the association between social support and resilience among COVID-19 long haulers

Although the COVID-19 mortality rate is declining, the number of individuals dealing with persistent COVID-19 symptoms is increasing worldwide, making long COVID a global public health concern. People with long COVID (long haulers) often deal with physical and mental stressors. Long haulers' psychological resilience could play a key role in coping with these stressors in intercorrelation with psychosocial resources. The current study aims to test a hypothesized relationship between social support and its functions (i.e., instrumental and emotional) and the resilience of long haulers through serial mediation by personal mastery and self-esteem. A cross-sectional and self-administered online survey was conducted among 460 individuals with long COVID recruited from COVID-19 Facebook support groups in the United States. Analyzing data indicated a positive correlation between social support and the resilience of long haulers. Structural equation modeling suggested that self-esteem and personal mastery fully mediated the association between social (instrumental) support and resilience. Personal mastery also mediated the association between self-esteem and resilience in social (instrumental) support models. However, in the emotional support model, the indirect effect was non-significant for the mediation by personal mastery and self-esteem. Findings suggest that social support, mainly instrumental support, may protect long haulers by promoting their resilience through self-esteem and personal mastery. This study emphasizes the importance of including social support services in designing programs for COVID-19 long haulers.

Perceived social support, perceived stress, and quality of sleep among COVID-19 patients in Iran: assessing measurement invariance of the multidimensional scale of perceived social support across gender and age

Background

Perceived social support (PSS) plays a considerable role in mental health. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) is one of the most widely used scales, leading to much research evidence. The present study investigated its measurement model, equivalence across gender (male and female) and age groups (older patients= above 60 and non-older patients= below 60), and concurrent validity.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and October 2020, on patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran. The scales were administered to 328 COVID-19 patients (54.6% male, aged 21 to 92) from two general hospitals; participants completed MSPSS (including friends, family, and significant others subscales), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI, include sleep latency, subjective sleep quality, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep duration, use of sleep medication, daytime dysfunction, and sleep disturbances subscales), and the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10, to assess patients' appraisal of stressful conditions).

Results

The MSPSS three-factor structure was confirmed among COVID-19 patients by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The results support the MSPSS internal consistency and configural, metric, and scalar invariance across gender and age groups. Nevertheless, small but significant differences were found across ages based on the latent factor mean of the MSPSS from friends, with a lower mean level in older patients. The coefficients of Cronbach's alpha (ranging from.92 to.96), the ordinal theta (ranging from.95 to.98), and Omega (ranging from.93 to.97) suggested high internal consistency of MSPSS. The concurrent validity of MSPSS was evidenced by its significant negative correlation with PSS-10 (τb = -.13, p <.01) and also subjective sleep quality (τb = -.22, p <.01), sleep disturbances (τb = -.26, p <.001), and daytime dysfunction (τb = -.26, p <.001).

Conclusions

The MSPSS was valid and reliable for measuring individuals' perception of social support between males and females and older and non-older COVID-19 patients.

Childhood maltreatment and association with trajectories of depressive symptoms among older adults: a longitudinal study in China

OBJECTIVES

Childhood maltreatment has long-lasting effects on mental health. Existing evidence suggests that trajectories of depressive symptoms vary among individuals; however, little is known about how childhood maltreatment shapes these trajectory patterns. Therefore, this study investigated the impacts of childhood maltreatment on eight-year depressive trajectories among Chinese older adults.

METHOD

Five waves of longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were utilized. Growth Mixture Modelling was performed to identify distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms, and multinomial logistic regression was conducted to explore the associations between these trajectories and childhood maltreatment.

RESULTS

Four trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: the 'no symptoms' class (61.83%), the 'increasing symptoms' class (14.49%), the 'decreasing symptoms' class (16.44%), and the 'chronic symptoms' class (7.24%). Older adults who experienced childhood physical abuse were more likely to be in the 'chronic symptoms' class than in the 'no symptoms' class, whereas emotional neglect did not show a significant association with three problematic trajectories.

CONCLUSION

This study provides empirical evidence that childhood physical abuse increases the likelihood of developing chronic depressive symptoms in later life. To mitigate this risk, it is crucial to institute comprehensive treatment plans that incorporate trauma-informed care principles, employ evidence-based therapies specifically designed to address the long-term effects of abuse, and prioritize regular screening and assessment of mental health among older adults.

Self-Differentiation, Psychological Flexibility, and Difficulties in Practice in Social Workers and Social Work Students

Practicing social work involves unique difficulties, which may vary with seniority. This study aimed to identify these difficulties among social workers and social work students and to examine the associations between psychological flexibility (PF), self-differentiation (SF), and difficulties in practice in both groups. Ninety-one social work students and seventy-five social workers completed the following questionnaires: Difficulties in Practice, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, and Differentiation of Self Inventory. Results showed higher difficulties among social work students regarding their professional competence. Social workers demonstrated higher levels of PF, while no significant difference was found in SF. SF and PF were positively correlated, and both were negatively correlated with difficulties in practice in both groups. Among social work students, a moderating effect of PF was found for the association between SF and difficulties in practice. The current study emphasizes the importance of developing SF and cultivating PF during social work education to enhance professional competence and reduce difficulties in practice.

Factors Associated With Psychological Distress of Individuals With COVID-19 Isolating at Home: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study

The purpose of the current study was to clarify the effects of illness perceptions, coping styles, and social support on psychological distress of individuals with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) isolating at home. A cross-sectional study was performed in a state hospital in Turkey with 112 individuals with confirmed cases of COVID-19. Data were collected online using self-report scales between June 8, 2020, and December 25, 2020. Regression models were used to determine predictors of psychological distress. Significant predictors were cognitive and emotional illness representations, self-blame, and positive reinterpretation coping methods. Health care providers should consider individuals' illness perceptions and coping methods and their effect on psychological distress when providing in-home and follow-up care. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 61(12), 27-36.].

Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on prenatal and postpartum patient experiences and well-being

BACKGROUND

It has yet to be fully elucidated how differing populations of obstetric patients adapted to the disruptions in perinatal care and postpartum support from the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed an enriched sample of socioeconomically advantaged patients to understand the influence of COVID-19 on their perinatal care experience, well-being, and coping.

METHODS

We surveyed pregnant and postpartum patients (n = 6140) at a large academic medical center in the Midwest of the United States using the Coronavirus and Perinatal Experiences instrument in Spring 2021.

RESULTS

The survey was sent to 6141 pregnant and postpartum patients; 1180 (17.8%) respondents completed the survey, including 256 who were pregnant and 834 postpartum. Most pregnant patients experienced no changes in their prenatal care with 16.5% indicating somewhat worsened care. In the postpartum cohort, 37.5% stated their care had somewhat worsened. In describing influences on stress and mental health, 58.1% of postpartum respondents stated it was moderately, and 17.4% significantly, worse. The pandemic had a somewhat or moderately negative influence for 72.7% of respondents, with 11.0% stating these effects were extremely negative. Both cohorts characterized a range of coping strategies, most commonly, talking with friends and family (76.3%).

CONCLUSION(S)

Even among this sample of socioeconomically advantaged patients, respondents indicated that the pandemic disrupted many facets of their medical care and daily life, especially social activities and postpartum support. Our findings suggest that counseling on coping and adaptation strategies for stressors and increased health systems support be part of perinatal care during public health emergencies for all demographic groups.

Coping strategies in postpartum women: exploring the influence of demographic and maternity factors

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression is a frequent mental health issue that affects many women due to this stressful phase. The aim of the study is to gain insight into the coping strategies employed by postpartum women and to explore how these strategies are influenced by various demographic and maternity factors.

METHODS

The study adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional design. Data were collected from 239 postpartum women receiving care at a Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic using self-reported tools, which include the Brief COPE survey and the socio-demographics and obstetric/maternal history form from October 2022 to April 2023.

RESULTS

The study findings indicate that individuals aged over 40 tend to use more emotional-focused coping compared to those aged 21-30 (p = 0.002) and 31-40. Additionally, both genders of children were associated with more emotional-focused coping (p = 0.007) compared to only having boys. Cesarean section delivery (p = 0.001) was associated with more avoidant-focused coping than normal vaginal delivery. Avoidant-focused coping was significantly predicted by problem-focused coping (p < 0.001), emotional-focused coping (p = 0.034), age (p = 0.003), and gender of children (only boys, p < 0.001; both boys and girls, p = 0.019). Furthermore, problem-focused coping was significantly predicted by age (p = 0.004), gender of children (male child, p = 0.002; both boy and girl: p = 0.014), and avoidant-focused coping (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The study examined how postpartum women cope with the challenges of motherhood and how this relates to their demographic and maternity factors. The results suggest that healthcare professionals should promote effective coping strategies and discourage avoidance-oriented approaches in postpartum interventions.

The relationship between social support and depression among HIV-positive men who have sex with men in China: the chain mediating role of psychological flexibility and hope

Introduction

HIV and mental health problems are a global syndemic. One key issue is that the significant mental health problems among people vulnerable to acquiring or living with HIV have not been fully addressed. Access to social support has been one of the biggest challenges for HIV-positive men who have sex with men (HIV+ MSM). Lower social support has been linked to more severe depression symptoms. However, the mechanisms underlying the association between social support and depression in HIV+ MSM are unclear. Two possible mediators include hope and psychological flexibility. This study aimed to examine the relationship between social support and depression in HIV+ MSM and to explore the single mediating effects of hope and psychological flexibility and the chain mediating effect of these two variables on this relationship.

Methods

A convenience sample was used to recruit participants from the designated HIV/AIDS hospital in Changsha city, Hunan Province of China. A total of 290 HIV+ MSM completed questionnaires.

Results

Our findings showed that hope mediated the relationship between social support and depression in HIV+ MSM. Furthermore, the chain mediation model confirmed a direct negative association between social support and depression, but this relationship was largely mediated by the chain effects of hope and psychological flexibility.

Conclusions

Integrating hope and psychological flexibility into interventions may provide better mental health support for HIV+ MSM and improve their wellbeing and quality of life.

Post-covid-19 syndrome: Self-compassion and psychological flexibility moderate the relationship between physical symptom load and psychosocial impact

Living with persistent physical symptoms of an acute COVID-19 infection has a substantial impact on individuals' everyday lives. The identification of potential therapeutic targets for Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS) or "Long-COVID" that can be utilised to reduce the impact of symptoms, is necessary to support effective rehabilitation. Self-compassion and psychological flexibility are thought to be important constructs to consider when understanding how individuals approach the management of long-term health challenges. The present study investigated the extent to which self-compassion and psychological flexibility moderate the relationship between physical symptoms and their impact on daily life. One-hundred and five participants (91 females) who were living with PCS after an acute COVID-19 infection, completed measures to assess PCS physical symptom prevalence as well as measures to assess impact on daily life, self-compassion and psychological flexibility. Two parallel moderation analyses showed that self-compassion and psychological flexibility significantly moderated the relationships between physical symptom presentation and their psychosocial impact. This research highlights the buffering effects of self-compassion and psychological flexibility and the need to consider these psychological therapeutic targets, as part of PCS multidisciplinary rehabilitation.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Women's Mental Health

Background: Women are more likely than men to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety with rates increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic. This study sought to understand how women's intersecting identities, personal strengths, and COVID-19-related stressors were associated with their anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms early in the pandemic. Methods: During May-June 2020, American women (N = 398) recruited via MTurk completed an online questionnaire assessing mental health (PTSD, anxiety, and depression), demographic characteristics, personal strengths (coping, hope, social support), and experiences with COVID-19-specific stressors. Results: Women who had a child younger than 18 years of age, lived in rural or urban areas (compared with suburban), and identified as sexual minority reported increased levels of PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Social support and hope (Agency) were associated with fewer mental health symptoms. Engagement in maladaptive coping and greater perception of COVID-19 threat and perceived stress was associated with more PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. COVID-19-related illness events and difficulty accessing living essentials were associated with increased anxiety symptoms. COVID-19-related disruption to living and income were associated with increased PTSD symptoms. Loneliness was associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms. Conclusions: Results of this study can inform prevention and intervention efforts to address depression and anxiety among women with intersecting identities during times of stress. Specifically, supporting the development of women's resilience and adaptive coping and intervening to address maladaptive coping strategies, such as drinking, provide paths to supporting women's mental health.

Predicting anxiety and depression over 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic: A machine learning study

OBJECTIVES

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was associated with substantial increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms. To understand individual risk, we examined a large set of potential risk factors for anxiety and depression in the pandemic context.

METHODS

Adults in the United States (N = 1200) completed eight online self-report assessments over 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Area under the curve scores summarized cumulative experiences of anxiety and depression over the assessment period. A machine learning approach to elastic net regularized regression was used to select predictors of cumulative anxiety and depression severity from a set of 68 sociodemographic, psychological, and pandemic-related baseline variables.

RESULTS

Cumulative anxiety severity was most strongly explained by stress and depression-related variables (such as perceived stress) and select sociodemographic characteristics. Cumulative depression severity was predicted by psychological variables, including generalized anxiety and depressive symptom reactivity. Being immunocompromised or having a medical condition were also important.

CONCLUSIONS

By considering many predictors, findings provide a more complete view than previous studies focused on specific predictors. Important predictors included psychological variables suggested by prior research and variables more specific to the pandemic context. We discuss how such findings can be used in understanding risk and planning interventions.

An investigation of what protective individual- and community-level factors are associated with life satisfaction in middle-aged and older family carers in Ireland

Background

Family care plays an essential role in providing care in society. However, caring can cause stress, and mental and physical responses to caring vary widely. Different outcomes for carers may reflect different approaches or adaptability to caring and their ability to maintain or recover their mental health and wellbeing following an adverse event (psychosocial resilience). We aim to identify factors that may promote psychosocial resilience, conceptualized as maintaining or recovering subjective wellbeing and operationalized as satisfaction with life, among carers.

Methods

Data were from 6 Waves (2009-2021) of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA), a prospective biennial nationally representative longitudinal study of older adults aged ≥50 in Ireland. Family caregiving was assessed in Waves 3-6. Participants were asked if they cared for someone, their relationship to the recipient, and the number of hours per week that they provided care. We used growth mixture modeling to identify latent trajectories of satisfaction with life (SWL) before and after caring was initiated. Regression modeling was then used to identify protective factors (at the individual, family, and community levels) associated with resilient trajectories.

Results

Overall, 731 (12.2%) participants became carers during follow-up. We identified three trajectories in SWL in carers following initiation of caring, namely, Resilient-Stable (81%), Resilient-Recovery (12%), and Non-recovery (6%). Membership in Resilient-Stable and Resilient-Recovery trajectories was associated with fewer depressive symptoms (OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.78, 0.94) and chronic conditions (OR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.06, 0.74), larger social networks (OR = 2.03, 95% CI 1.06, 3.86), more close friends and relatives (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.01, 1.32), and caring for someone other than a child (OR = 0.19, 95% CI 0.07, 0.51) compared to the Non-recovery group.

Conclusion

Becoming a family carer was associated with a decline in SWL over time in some carers. However, most carers either did not experience a decline in SWL or recovered their SWL over time. We found that both individual and community-level supports may be protective for carers' wellbeing. These results will inform the priorities for social and community-level services and support for older carers and contribute to the design of new projects and programs to meet these needs.

COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Job Loss Impacts on Mental Health in South Korea

OBJECTIVE

The economic hardship brought by the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic has caused mental health problems among people of different socioeconomic status (SES). As social support helps to buffer these problems, we investigated the association between job loss related to COVID-19 and depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts; the differences in the effects according to SES; and the mediating effects of social support.

METHODS

The effects of COVID-19-related job loss on depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts among 1,364 people were investigated through semi-structured and self-administered questionnaires: Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, and the Functional Social Support Questionnaire. Logistic regression and subgroup analyses were performed to assess the association between job loss and mental health status, and the moderating effects of income and educational levels. Moreover, the mediating effects of perceived social support on the association between job loss and depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts were analyzed.

RESULTS

COVID-19-related job loss increased the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts. Adults with lower income and education level were at higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts; perceived social support level had significant mediating effects on the association between job loss and depression/anxiety; and income level had significant moderating effects on this mediating pathway.

CONCLUSION

COVID-19-related job loss were likely to be significantly associated with negative mental health outcomes, especially among individuals with low income and education levels. As social support had buffering effects on such outcomes, related government policies in cooperation with the governance of communities and stakeholders must be prepared.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Well-Being, Social Relationships and Academic Performance in a Sample of University Freshmen: A Propensity Score Match Evaluation Pre- and Post-Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted freshmen, compromising their mental health, lifestyles, and academic performance. There are few studies that have investigated changes in the health status and lifestyles of freshmen before and after the pandemic. The aims of this study were: (1) to carry out a pre-post-COVID-19 pandemic comparison between two freshmen samples, in order to detect differences in their socio-demographic characteristics and in some clinical variables; (2) to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social and academic lives of the second sample of freshmen. The samples recruited in 2019 and 2022, matched by propensity score procedure (N = 553), were mostly female (57.3% vs. 55.3%); the mean age was 22.9 and 20.9 years, respectively. The freshmen recruited after the pandemic had less psychological distress and substance use than freshmen recruited before the pandemic. Seventy-eight percent of the freshmen stated that the pandemic had an impact on their social relationships. This effect was greater for females and Italian students. Forty-seven percent reported that the pandemic has worsened their academic performance, while 60% stated that pandemic has improved their grades. The results of this study can provide valuable insights into the impact of the pandemic on freshmen, in order to implement interventions to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic in some subgroups of this target population.

Mental health and psychosocial support in response to onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: Emotional and Stress Management Intervention in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast

Background

In response to the psychological distress experienced by people affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Action Against Hunger (Action contre la Faim, ACF) developed and implemented the Emotional and Stress Management Intervention (ESMI) in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast. ESMI is a person-to-person two-session, non-specialized, mental health and psychosocial support intervention for adults and adolescents in the general population based in problem solving therapy and principles of emotional regulation.

Methods

Using de-identified programmatic data for each country, we conducted paired t-tests to assess whether adults and adolescents who received ESMI experienced changes in reported psychological distress and perceived social support following the intervention. We also performed pairwise correlations to test whether there were associations between changes in distress and social support over the course of participation in ESMI. Descriptive analyses were performed for presenting problems and coping strategies reported during the sessions.

Results

Mean scores for psychological distress at baseline and follow-up were significantly different in all countries: Sierra Leone (mean (m) = -6.11; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -6.25 to -5.96); Ivory Coast (m = -3.21; 95% CI = -3.33 to -3.10); and Liberia (m = -2.86; 95% CI = -3.15 to -2.56). Changes in perceived social support were also statistically significant for Sierra Leone (m = 6.87; 95% CI = 6.72-7.02); Ivory Coast (m = 3.12; 95% CI = 2.97-3.27); and Liberia (m = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.00-1.27). Correlations (r) between changes in distress and changes in social support varied by country, and ranged from negative in Liberia, (r = -0.88, P = 0.001), to positive in Ivory Coast (r = 55, P = 0.001), and null in Sierra Leone (r = -0.07, P = 0.11).

Conclusions

Our findings show changes in psychological distress and perceived social support for participants who completed two sessions of ESMI, suggesting a potential benefit of ESMI as a person-to-person mental health and psychosocial support for individuals in distress affected by a pandemic. A future randomized controlled trial with a focus on key implementation factors (i.e., pre-testing visual analogue scales, treatment fidelity, and comparison of in-person vs remote) is recommended as next steps in research.

The role of cognitive flexibility in moderating the effect of school-related stress exposure

Educators are exposed to various stressful events as part of their ongoing work, including violence, sexual assaults, suicidal behavior, and loss or illness of students or their family members. Previous studies revealed an increased risk of developing PTSD symptoms in healthcare and supportive professionals exposed to repeated stress as part of their work. Cognitive flexibility might be a protective factor against the negative effect of such stress. The current study aimed to examine the interactive effects of school-related stress exposure and cognitive flexibility on the tendency to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the coping abilities of educators. One hundred and fifty educators (86.5% female; M_age = 43.08, M_{teaching_experience} = 12.90) volunteered to participate in this study. They completed questionnaires measuring levels of stress exposure, cognitive flexibility, coping ability, and PTSD symptoms. Analyses revealed that cognitive flexibility moderated the relationship between school-related stress exposure and both PTSD symptoms severity and maladaptive coping. Specifically, whereas educators with low cognitive flexibility exhibited positive associations between continuous stress exposure and both levels of PTSD symptoms and maladaptive coping, no such association was found among educators with high cognitive flexibility. The results highlight the importance of cognitive flexibility as a protective factor against the harmful effects of possible stress exposure in school environments. Awareness of the crucial role of cognitive flexibility as a protective factor for educators can be a breakthrough in improving educators' well-being and adaptive functioning.

Nursing students' perceptions of how the COVID-19 pandemic impacts mental well-being and educational environment

Background

Challenging work conditions put over 20 million U.S. health workers, including nurses, at risk for mental health problems. Mental health concerns among nurses and nursing students include anxiety, burnout, and stress which can lead to substance abuse and suicidal behavior. Nursing students practice in environments where they are exposed to complex challenges and high-stress situations that can lead to a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders. As nursing students attempt to adapt to a post-pandemic educational environment, it is important to identify perceptions of nursing students' mental well-being.

Methods

A qualitative design was utilized using a descriptive method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of BSN students (n = 11) from the southeastern U.S. Content analysis and coding were utilized in the study.

Results

Coping strategies and coping skills are imperative for nursing students to thrive in the educational environment, which includes a multitude of stressors that can negatively impact academic success. The rigorous workload of nursing schools, lack of support, financial challenges, and lack of experience are contributing factors that lead to decreased mental well-being among nursing students.

Conclusion

Interventions that aid in recognizing students at high risk for negative mental health outcomes must be implemented to ensure academic success. Implementing interventions to support healthy mental well-being among nursing students can also create an educational environment that prepares students to provide high-quality, safe, and effective patient care.

The psychological stress response of COVID-19 to medical staff and prevention: A large sample study from China

Objectives

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical staff in China were more likely to suffer from psychological problems. By investigating the actual state of psychological stress response of medical staff during the COVID-19 outbreak, the study discussed and analyzed the influencing factors of different psychological states in order to prevent the occurrence of serious adverse emotional events in medical staff.

Methods

In the Xiangyang Central Hospital, 1,466 medical staff members have adopted the Psychological Questionnaire for Emergencies Events of Public Health (PQEEPH), which includes questions about depression, neurasthenia, fear, obsessive anxiety, and hypochondriac disorders. The questionnaire also asks about gender, age, education level, health, department, position, and whether personnel exposure history correlation analysis has been confirmed.

Results

The survey revealed that 55% had depression, 26.7% had neurasthenia, 95% had fear, 47.9% had obsessive anxiety, and 69.3% had hypochondria. The effects of depression and hypochondriac emotional stress were significantly greater in female workers than in male workers (p < 0.05). Those with higher educational levels had a stronger emotional stress response. Medical professionals with or without contact histories, those who were suspected or confirmed, as well as those in various positions and departments, all demonstrated significant differences in their stress emotions (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Emotional stress affected medical professionals, especially doctors and nurses, who were on the front lines of clinical work in the face of significant public health emergencies. Therefore, to reduce the stress burden and enhance mental health on medical staff, hospitals were suggested to improve their emergency management practices. In addition, the sensitization knowledge training and psychological counseling for front-line clinical staff should be strengthened.

Trajectories of resilience and mental distress to global major disruptions

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a major societal disruption, raising the question of how people can maintain or quickly regain their mental health (i.e., be resilient) during such times. Researchers have used the pandemic as a use case for studying resilience in response to a global, synchronously starting, and chronic set of stressors on the individual and societal level. Our review of this recent literature reveals that mental distress trajectories during the pandemic largely resemble mental distress responses to individual-level macro-stressors, except for a lower prevalence of recovery trajectories. Results suggest more resilient responses in older adults, but trajectories are less consistent for younger and older ages compared with middle-aged adults. We call for more research integrating state-of-the-art operationalizations of resilience and using these to study resilience over the lifespan.

Resilience and Wellbeing Strategies for Pandemic Fatigue in Times of Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is truly one of the greatest collective health crises in history which have altered our life and living. For years, people have felt fatigued from following public health directives such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and working or studying remotely without in-person interactions. In this paper, we explore strategies for resilience and wellbeing which can mitigate pandemic-caused stress and behavioural fatigue. We start with individual level strategies including reworking stress appraisals, the importance of psychological flexibility, reducing loneliness through adaptive online platform use, optimizing familial relationships when living in close quarters for a prolonged period, reducing symptoms of burnout and using adaptive distractions, using specific evidence-based resilience strategies. We discuss specific considerations which tap on our shared identities and shared responsibilities which can enhance a sense of community, especially for individuals from marginalized backgrounds and how suicide risks can be minimized.