Evolution and impact of self-efficacy during French COVID-19 confinement: a longitudinal study

Transdiagnostic factors in the COVID-19 pandemic: Examining the role of childhood abuse and neglect in establishing latent profiles of risk and resilience

BACKGROUND

Ample studies have focused on the negative consequences of COVID-19 on mental well-being, but fewer have explored the specific role of childhood abuse and neglect in the context of risk and resilience during this unprecedented crisis.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to identify distinct profiles of individuals based on their experiences of childhood abuse and neglect, coping strategies, and psycho-social transdiagnostic risk and protective factors, using a person-centered approach.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A convenience sample of 914 Israelis completed self-report questionnaires during the second wave of COVID-19.

METHODS

Latent Profile Analysis was employed based on levels of childhood abuse and neglect, coping strategies, and established factors underpinning risk and resilience in mental health: dissociation, self-criticism, self-efficacy, self-compassion, attachment insecurity, psychological resilience, mentalizing, distress disclosure, psychopathology, and relationship satisfaction. Profiles were compared in COVID-19-related distress and well-being using ANOVAs.

RESULTS

A four-profile solution was found to be optimal for describing individuals with different profiles of risk and resilience: "risk" (5.1 %)-individuals with meaningfully high levels of childhood abuse and neglect and dissociation; "vulnerable" (14.2 %)-individuals high in risk factors and low in protective factors; "moderately resilient" (47.6 %)-those with moderate levels of protective and risk factors; "highly resilient" (33.1 %)-individuals high in protective factors and low in risk factors; groups differed in mental well-being and COVID-19-related distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Results highlight the importance of childhood abuse and neglect in differentiating between the two distinct profiles of at-risk individuals. Implications for risk assessment and treatment in the context of potential traumatic stress are discussed.

Social support, self-efficacy, self-esteem, and well-being during COVID-19 lockdown: A two-wave study of Danish students

Societal lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed everyday life across the globe, including requirements of social distancing that might limit the social support people derive from social interaction. Social support has proven to be a vital resource for well-being (i.e., perceived stress and satisfaction with life) and coping during societal challenges. The present study examined how social support is associated with perceived stress and life satisfaction through self-efficacy and self-esteem among Danish students (N = 204). These psychological constructs were examined both during and after lockdown, assessing the possible aversive psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results did not yield any significant changes in either the mean scores of the constructs or the indirect effects model across the two time points. Moreover, the results indicate that social support derived from a significant person, family, and friends - but not student peers - is negatively linked with perceived stress and positively associated with life satisfaction through both self-efficacy and self-esteem. Although societal lockdown did not yield significant psychological impact, the results highlight the importance of social support among students, both during and after lockdown.

Savoring mediates the mental health benefits of positive coping processes: A prospective population-based analysis

Positive coping (e.g., self-efficacy and positive reappraisal) and savoring could bear mental health implications under large-scale disasters such as COVID-19. The integrative affect-regulation framework of psychological resilience proposes that evaluative efforts regulate affect, which then predicts positive short-term consequences and better mental health. This two-wave study was done during the prolonged, intensive COVID-19 control rules in Hong Kong and examined (1) the prospective associations of positive coping processes (i.e., self-efficacy and positive reappraisal) (T1, March-August 2021) with subsequent psychiatric symptoms (T2, September 2021-February 2022) and (2) the mediating effect of T2 savoring in the associations. Path analyses revealed that T1 self-efficacy and positive reappraisal were inversely related to T2 psychiatric symptoms. T2 savoring partially mediated the effect of T1 self-efficacy but fully mediated the effect of T1 positive reappraisal. Self-efficacy could have more sustainable direct positive associations with mental health, whereas the benefit of positive reappraisal might need to be catalyzed by savoring over time. Our study offered concrete illustrations of the conceptual tenets of the affect-regulation framework.

The Relationship Between Fear and Anxiety Among Chinese Uninfected Residents During the Pandemic: A Conditional Process Analysis

Background

This study aimed to explore the relationship between residents' COVID-19 fear and anxiety, consider whether this relationship is mediated through obsessions and the moderating role of self-efficacy on this mediating pathway.

Methods

This study used an online questionnaire to obtain and assess fear, obsession, anxiety and self-efficacy in 1589 Chinese COVID-19 uninfected residents. A conditional process model was used to examine the relationships between variables.

Results

Higher levels of fear were positively associated with obsession and anxiety. In addition, obsession was positively associated with anxiety, while self-efficacy attenuated the effect of fear on obsession and further mitigated the indirect effect of fear on anxiety through obsession.

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 outbreak, uninfected residents suffered varying degrees of psychological distress. COVID-19 fear may have an effect on anxiety in COVID survivors through obsession, and self-efficacy as a protective factor for individual mental health partially attenuates the effect of COVID-19 fear on obsession and the indirect effect of fear on anxiety.

Diabetes self-management and its related factors among Chinese young adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

AIM

To explore the status quo of self-management among young adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the determinants of self-management under the guidance of social cognitive theory.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

In total, 227 young adults (18-44 years old) with T2DM at two hospitals in Beijing completed the questionnaires. The Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities (SDSCA) was used, along with additional questionnaires about diabetes self-efficacy, attitude, diabetes distress, diabetes knowledge, coping styles and social support. Univariate analysis and multiple linear regression were used to explore the related factors of self-management among the young patients.

RESULTS

The scores for the SDSCA in diet, exercise, blood-glucose testing, foot care and medication taking were (4.16 ± 1.51), (3.46 ± 2.50), (2.28 ± 2.24), (1.08 ± 1.84) and (6.09 ± 1.88), respectively. Stepwise multiple linear regression showed that fasting blood-glucose value was significantly associated with self-management behaviours of diet, exercise, blood-glucose testing and medication taking. Self-efficacy was significantly associated with self-management behaviours of diet, exercise and foot care. Diabetes distress, diabetes-related social activity, confrontation, education, duration of T2DM, treatment modalities and diabetes knowledge were associated with the one or two dimensions of SDSCA in the young adults with T2DM.

Effects of Cognitive Appraisals on Perceived Self-Efficacy and Distress during the COVID-19 Lockdown: An Empirical Analysis Based on Structural Equation Modeling

During the COVID-19 lockdown, individuals and households had to responsibly manage the difficulties and problems caused by the restrictions on their mobility, such as the interruptions to work schedules, insecure food supplies, and the procurement of services and health care. The perceptions of risk as well as the fear of disease were strongly linked to worry, defined as a sequence of thoughts that evoke negative emotions and elevated levels of anxiety and distress. This study evaluated how different cognitive appraisals of an individual's sources of worry could influence their perceived self-efficacy and directly or indirectly moderate their perceived general distress. A sample of 544 participants completed a survey that included questions based on the generalized self-efficacy scale, the sources of concern during the epidemic, the cognitive appraisal scale in emergency, and perceived discomfort. Subsequently, a structural-equation-modeling (SEM) analysis was performed to test the moderating role of cognitive appraisals and perceived self-efficacy on participants' overall distress during a lockdown. Overall, the model reported acceptable fit values and confirmed the hypotheses of the study. An individual's worries activated either a dysfunctional threat appraisal, which prompted a fear-and-closure response that then increased their overall state of distress; or two other functional appraisals (i.e., adaptive or supportive) that contributed to significantly improving the individual's self-efficacy. Higher self-efficacy was shown to be associated with lower levels of perceived distress. For the purposes of prevention and distress containment, it would be appropriate to promote psycho-educational interventions that promote the adoption of appraisal strategies that are functional and beneficial for perceived self-efficacy.

Effects of a New Soft Skills Metacognition Training Program on Self-Efficacy and Adaptive Performance

Although soft skills training is called for by many scholars and managers, empirical studies on concrete training programs are scarce and do not always have the methodological rigor that is necessary to draw meaningful conclusions about their impact. In the present research, we investigate the effects of a new soft skills metacognition training program on self-efficacy and adaptive performance. To test these effects, we conducted an experiment with a sample of employees of a large firm (n = 180). The experiment included pre- and post-measurements and a control condition. The results suggested that participating in the training led to an increase in soft skills metacognition, self-efficacy, and four dimensions of adaptive performance, compared to a control condition. Mediation analyses suggested that an increase in soft skills metacognition led to an increase in self-efficacy, which led, in turn, to an increase in adaptive performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, as well as limitations.

Development of well-being after moving to telework: A longitudinal latent class analysis

Introduction

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teleworking suddenly became a reality for many individuals. Previous research shows that there are contradictory consequences of telework on well-being: while workers have the opportunity for self-directed work, intensified work behavior as well as longer hours being worked might occur at the same time. We expect that the effects of telework vary over time and may be able to explain these contradictions. Moreover, from the perspective of the job demands-resources model besides job resources, personal resources may be relevant. The aim of this study is to investigate how the mental well-being of workers unfolds over time after the onset of the pandemic and the role of telework in this process. Additionally we seek to identify the impact of available job resources and personal resources in this extraordinary situation.

Methods

Data were collected online from 642 participants in Germany beginning in March 2020, with 8 weekly followup surveys. Mental well-being was measured using the WHO-5 well-being index. For personal resources we looked at occupational self-efficacy; job resources were flexible working hours, job autonomy, and social support. Job demands were telework and work intensification. First we used a group-based trajectory analysis approach to identify different well-being trajectories. Second we applied multinomial regression analysis to identify T1 predictors of well-being trajectory group membership and their interactions.

Results

We found three groups of mental well-being trajectories: low, medium, and high. Their progress through the investigation period was rather stable: we observed only slight improvements of mental well-being for the high well-being group and a slight deterioration for the other two groups. Only the job demand work intensification and the personal resource occupational self-efficacy had a significant relationship to group assignment. Additionally we found interactions of telework with work intensification and occupational self-efficacy indicating a buffering mechanism of telework on the consequences of high work intensification; and low occupational self-efficacy.

Discussion

Telework appears to be a useful resource that buffered high work intensification and compensated for low personal resources during the pandemic. Since data were from self-reports of a convenience sample we can't assume generalization of our results nor absence of common-method bias.

Exploring psychological resilience of entrepreneurial college students for post-pandemic pedagogy: The mediating role of self-efficacy

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students is an important topic. With the entry of the post-epidemic era, how universities can better improve students’ psychological resilience in teaching is the research topic of this article. In the form of a questionnaire survey, some entrepreneurial college students investigated the loneliness and psychological resilience of college students after the outbreak of the epidemic and explored the role of self-efficacy in it. The data is collected online through cooperation with an entrepreneurial event, and the participating students are asked for background information such as colleges, grade, and majors. After collecting this information, they answered a series of simplified scale questions about loneliness, self-efficacy, and psychological resilience. In the end, a total of 200 questionnaires from different universities were collected, and the structural equation model was used to explore the role of self-efficacy. The results show that: loneliness has a significant negative effect on Self-efficacy, β = -0.292, p < 0.001; Self-efficacy has a significant positive effect on psychological resilience, β = 0.556, p < 0.0 01; loneliness has a significant negative effect on psychological resilience, β = -0.244, p < 0.01. Self-Efficacy has a significant intermediate effect in loneliness and psychological resilience, with an effective value of -0.111 and p < 0.01. The results show that this exploratory survey finds it important to provide targeted personal self-efficacy improvement activities for college students with a strong sense of loneliness and to combine school and family education organically to help college students form a healthy and upward mentality to better cope with the unknown and troubles caused by the epidemic, which will help improve the psychological resilience of college students in the epidemic.

Family satisfaction and self-efficacy among low-income adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A comparative analysis of parents' educational attainment

Purposes

Given that the period from middle to high school is important to develop and cultivate self-efficacy, reduced support in low-income families might negatively influence the development of self-efficacy among low-income students since COVID-19. This study aims to investigate the association between family satisfaction and self-efficacy among low-income students since COVID-19 and the moderating effect of parents' educational attainment on the relationship.

Methods

255 low-income students in South-Korea were selected for the final sample. The PROCESS macro 3.4 for Statistical Product and Service Solutions was used to analyze the data.

Results

Family satisfaction was positively related to self-efficacy among low-income students. There was a significant moderating effect of parents' educational attainment on the relationship between family satisfaction and self-efficacy among low-income students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discussion

Financial support and COVID-19 benefits should be prioritized to low-income families with adolescents to improve family relationships, leading to increase self-efficacy among low-income students. Social welfare programs targeting family relationships in low-income households should be especially targeted toward low-income households without a parent who received higher education. Life-long education should be provided to parents in low-income families who did not gain higher education as their educational attainment influences the self-efficacy of their adolescent children.

The Moderated Mediating Effect of Hope, Self-Efficacy and Resilience in the Relationship between Post-Traumatic Growth and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic

As a major life trauma, COVID-19 had negative impacts on psychological well-being. The aim of this study was to test and verify the mediation of resilience, hope and self-efficacy and to analyze the moderating effect of gender and COVID-19 contagion on the association between symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression, and post-traumatic growth among adults during COVID-19. A cross-sectional study was conducted via an online survey with self-administered questionnaires. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, the Resilience Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Comprehensive State Hope Scale were used. A total of 493 (n = 262 female and n = 231 male) participated in the survey (M_age = 33.40 years, SD = 13.41, range = 20 to 60). A multiple mediation model was used to verify the mediating effect of resilience, hope and self-efficacy on the relationship between symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression, and PTG. A moderated mediation model was examined to find and test the moderated effects of gender and COVID-19 contagion on the mediation model. Results showed the indirect effects of anxiety (β = 0.340 (0.120); 95% CI [from 0.128 to 0.587]) and depression (β = 0.222 (0.095); 95% CI [0.048, 0.429]) on PTG trough resilience and hope. Symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression, and self-efficacy were significantly highest in females. Moreover, males and participants with COVID-19 contagion had significantly higher levels of resilience and post-traumatic growth. These findings suggest that hope and resilience, as protective factors, could be an important key to developing an intervention strategy to enhance and improve psychological health during a crisis.

Analysis of factors influencing public attention to masks during the COVID-19 epidemic-Data from Sina Weibo

As we all know, vaccination still does not protect people from novel coronavirus infections, and wearing masks remains essential. Research on mask attention is helpful to understand the public's cognition and willingness to wear masks, but there are few studies on mask attention in the existing literature. The health belief model used to study disease prevention behaviors is rarely applied to the research on mask attention, and the research on health belief models basically entails the use of a questionnaire survey. This study was purposed to establish a health belief model affecting mask attention to explore the relationship between perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, self-efficacy, perceived impairment, action cues and mask attention. On the basis of the establishment of the hypothesis model, the Baidu index of epidemic and mask attention, the number of likes and comments on Weibo, and the historical weather temperature data were retrieved by using software. Keyword extraction and manual screening were carried out for Weibo comments, and then the independent variables and dependent variables were coded. Finally, through binomial logistic regression analysis, it was concluded that perceived susceptibility, perceived severity and action cues have significant influences on mask attention, and that the accuracy rate for predicting low attention is 93.4%, and the global accuracy is 84.3%. These conclusions can also help suppliers make production decisions.

Some of the workforce face post COVID after the acute phase of the illness: The employer’s supportive role

BACKGROUND: A considerable proportion of workers that recover from an acute phase of COVID-19 are confronted with post COVID-19 symptoms of varying severity and duration. Employers have an important role in addressing this new condition. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to review organisational practises that could help employees suffering from long COVID-19 return to work and to link these suggestions to theoretical frameworks from the field of work and organisational psychology. METHODS: Since scientific publications on post COVID-19 are published daily, but sound empirical studies are still scarce, the synthesis of the scientific and professional literature was performed in the form of a narrative review. RESULTS: The results were organised according to the healthy workplace model and explained through the lens of the job demands-resources theory. The role of the employer has three aspects: collaboration, instructional pillars, and key actors. The main guidelines for implementation of the policies are an individualised approach, flexibility, and support. Supportive policies, practises, and relationships might have a direct impact on workers’ psychological resources. CONCLUSIONS: The model could help employers understand the conditions and necessary adaptations for workers with post COVID-19, as well as advance research in work and organisational psychology.

The impact of COVID-19 stressors on psychological distress and suicidality in a nationwide community survey in Taiwan

COVID-19 stressors and psychological stress response are important correlates of suicide risks under the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of COVID-19 stress, its impact on mental health and associated risk factors among the general population during the outbreak of COVID-19 in July 2020 throughout Taiwan. A nationwide population-based survey was conducted using a computer-assisted telephone interview system with a stratified, proportional randomization method for the survey. The questionnaire comprised demographic variables, psychological distress assessed by the five-item Brief Symptom Rating Scale and independent psychosocial variables including COVID-19 stressors, loneliness, suicidality, and health-related self-efficacy. In total, 2094 respondents completed the survey (female 51%). The COVID-19 stress was experienced among 45.4% of the participants, with the most prevalent stressors related to daily life and job/financial concerns. Higher levels of suicidality, loneliness, and a lower level of self-efficacy had significantly higher odds of having COVID-19 stress. The structural equation model revealed that COVID-19 stress was moderately associated with psychological distress and mediated by other psychosocial risk factors. The findings call for more attention on strategies of stress management and mental health promotion for the public to prevent larger scales of psychological consequences in future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Relationship Among Spirituality, Self-Efficacy, COVID-19 Anxiety, and Hopelessness During the COVID-19 Process in Turkey: A Path Analysis

This study explores the relationship among spirituality, self-efficacy, COVID-19 anxiety, and hopelessness. The participants are comprised of 418 individuals (282 females and 136 males) in Turkey whose ages range between 18 and 61 years old. The participants completed the following surveys: The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Spiritual Orientation Inventory. The relationships among the variables have been examined using path analysis. According to the results, spirituality, self-efficacy, and COVID-19 anxiety have direct effects on hopelessness. The analysis also shows self-efficacy to mediate the relationship between spirituality and hopelessness. The proposed model has good fit indices. The findings are discussed in the context of the literature on COVID-19, spirituality, self-efficacy, and hopelessness, with practical implications for mental health professionals being provided.

Mediation Effect of Self-Efficacy and Resilience on the Psychological Well-Being of Lebanese People During the Crises of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Beirut Explosion

Introduction: Self-efficacy signifies an individual's belief in their own ability to perform the actions required to achieve a particular performance. In this study, we used an online survey to assess the mediation effect of resilience and self-efficacy on the overall psychological well-being of Lebanese people during the crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut explosion. Methods: Overall, 567 Lebanese people participated in an online survey between March 17-28, 2021. The survey included the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 items (SAVE-6), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-2 items, WHO-5 Well-being Index, General Self-Efficacy scale, and a single item on insomnia. We also assessed their risk perception regarding exposure to COVID-19 or explosions. Results: About 53% of participants were assessed as having depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) in the recent crisis. About half of participants (53.2%) reported feeling more stressed by COVID-19 than by the Beirut explosion, and 23.4% felt more stressed by the Beirut explosion than by COVID-19. Only the SAVE-6 score differed significantly between groups with greater stress responses to COVID-19 and the Beirut explosion. Self-efficacy mediated the influence of depression on people's psychological well-being, and self-efficacy and resilience mediated the influence of viral anxiety on psychological well-being. Conclusion: Self-efficacy is important for reducing people's depression and improving their psychological well-being during the Lebanon crises and also mediates the influence of anxiety in response to the viral epidemic on their psychological well-being in some people.

Depression and Self-Efficacy Among Iranian Children During the Prevalence of COVID-19 Disease

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has quickly endangered the physical and mental health of people in the community, particularly vulnerable people such as children. This study was carried out to investigate the depression and self-efficacy of Iranian children during the COVID-19 outbreak. This cross-sectional research was conducted on 321 students aged 8 to 17 in southeast Iran. A social media-based online questionnaire was used to collect data. The information was gathered using demographic and COVID-related items, the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), and the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C). No significant correlation was observed between depression and self-efficacy of children (P = 0.23). However, in subscale of CDI, negative mood, ineffectiveness and negative self-esteem had a significant correlation with self-efficacy (<0.001). Depression had a significant correlation with family income (p = 0.017), being at risk of coronavirus infection (p = 0.036), effectiveness of preventive measures (p = 0.015) and how information about the coronavirus disease was obtained (p = 0.018). According to the results, the mean score of depression was higher than the midpoint of the questionnaire in Iranian children, therefore, it is needed to take the necessary measures and treatment plans to reduce the rate of depression in children. Further research is needed to assess and prevent childhood depression.

The Moderating Effect of Age on Low-Income Students' Relationships With Mentors and Their Self-Efficacy Since COVID-19

PURPOSES

This study investigates the moderating effect of age on the association between relationship with mentors and self-efficacy among low-income students.

METHODS

A total of 255 low-income middle and high school students participated. The PROCESS macro 3.4 for Statistical Product and Service Solutions was employed to test the moderating effect.

RESULTS

Quality of relationship between mentors and mentees was positively associated with mentees' self-efficacy. Students' age significantly moderated the association between quality of the relationship with mentors and self-efficacy.

DISCUSSION

It is important to expand mentorship programs for low-income students during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to foster high self-efficacy among adolescents. Recruitment of high quality mentors and additional factors that may be helpful to a good relationship between mentees and mentors, such as mentor training, mentor screening, and mentor-mentee matching, should be prioritized to improve self-efficacy among low-income students since COVID-19. Early opportunities for mentoring from high quality mentors is particularly important to increase self-efficacy among younger students such as middle school students.

Evaluation of the Risk of Anxiety and/or Depression during Confinement Due to COVID-19 in Central Spain

(1) Background: The confinement of the population in response to the COVID-19 pandemic was related to an increased risk of suffering from anxiety and/or depression in previous studies with other populations. (2) Methods: descriptive study using surveys (Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scale) with 808 participants over 18 years of age between 14 and 20 of May 2020 during the confinement due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Spain. (3) Results: 63% of the participants were at risk of suffering from anxiety and 64.9% were at risk of depression. Variables reaching statistical significance were: age (t anxiety = -0.139 and t depression = -0.153), gender (t anxiety = -4.152 and t depression = -4.178), marital status (anxiety F = 2.893 and depression F = 3.011), symptoms compatible with COVID-19 (t anxiety = -4.177 and t depression = -3.791), previous need for psychological help (t anxiety = -5.385 and t depression = -7.136) and need for such help at the time of the study (t anxiety = -9.144 and depression = -10.995). In addition, we generated two regression models that estimate the risk of anxiety and depression. (4) Conclusions: more than half of the participants were at risk of suffering from anxiety and/or depression, confirming the negative effect of confinement on the population.