The Role of Hope and Resilience in Protecting Against Suicidal thoughts and Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Holding the hope? Therapist and client perspectives on long COVID recovery: A Q-methodology

PURPOSE

Long COVID is a global health concern which has debilitating effects on the individual experiencing it. In the United Kingdom, psychological therapies are being offered to people with long COVID, although the evidence for these therapies is yet to be demonstrated. This research aimed to understand how therapists and clients define and understand recovery from long COVID, and use hope theory to interpret the results.

METHODS

An online Q-methodology was employed, where participants sorted a range of statements pertaining to long COVID recovery based on their level of agreement with them. These arranged statements (Q-sorts) were collated and factor analysed to explore and compare underlying perspectives.

RESULTS

Sixteen participants were recruited for the study, including eleven clients, four IAPT therapists and one therapist working in the broader long COVID pathway. A four-factor model is reported, including (1) Psychological Pathways to Recovery, (2) Social Context and Agency, (3) Physiological Goals of Recovery and (4) Personal Meaning Making. All IAPT therapists loaded onto the psychological pathways factor, whereas the remaining participants shared more diverse perspectives.

CONCLUSIONS

The belief that long COVID recovery was possible, taken as an indicator of hopefulness, was rated highest for Factor 1, Psychological Pathways to Recovery, and Factor 3, Physiological Recovery Goals. This suggested that having a clear definition of recovery, or clear guidance on how to intervene, promoted hopefulness and, theoretically, well-being. However, clients reported experiences of being invalidated and disbelieved by health professionals, with psychological explanations sometimes being experienced as dismissive and invalidating. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.

Role of subjective well-being and resilience in the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal ideation among older adults with moderate to severe ADL limitations in Chinese nursing homes

PURPOSE

Hopelessness is a risk factor for suicidal ideation, whereas subjective well-being and resilience are protective factors. Nevertheless, the complicated mechanism underlying these factors has not been fully investigated among older people with moderate to severe ADL limitations in nursing homes. This cross-sectional study investigated the potential role of resilience in mediating the relationship between hopelessness and suicidal ideation as well as whether subjective well-being can moderate this mediating effect.

METHODS

Older individuals (N = 332; aged ≥ 65 years; 158 males, 174 females) with moderate to severe ADL limitations from 10 nursing homes in Chongqing, China, completed this cross-sectional study from July to December 2022. Hopelessness, resilience, subjective well-being and suicidal ideation were measured. The mediating and moderating effects were explored via regression analysis with bootstrap methods.

RESULTS

A total of 32.8 % (109/332) of the participants reported current suicidal ideation. The relationship between suicidal ideation and hopelessness was partly influenced by resilience (indirect effect = 0.13, 95 % CI = 0.07∼.20). Subjective well-being moderated the impact of resilience on suicidal ideation (moderating effect = 0.01, 95 % CI = 0.00∼.01) and indirectly impacted the effect of hopelessness on suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSION

These results emphasize the importance of resilience and subjective well-being in mitigating suicidal ideation, which is a prevalent issue among older adults residing in nursing homes with moderate to severe ADL limitations in China.

How Mental Health and Suicidality Changed during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study in the General and Psychiatric Population Illustrating Risk and Protective Factors

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in psychological distress in the general population, but contrasting results have been shown regarding its impact on psychological symptoms in clinical and non-clinical samples. Consequently, the aim of the present study was to compare in a longitudinal design (September-November 2020 and February-April 2021) the mental health outcomes of a clinical and a control sample and to determine the implications of various risk and protective factors in this regard. A total of 234 participants from the general population and 80 psychiatric patients took part in the present online study using the following measurements: the Brief Symptom Checklist (BSCL); Three-Item Loneliness Scale (TILS); Resilience Scale-13 (RS-13); and Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale-Non-Illness (FACIT-Sp Non-Illness). The results show an overall decrease in active suicidal ideation as well as "peace", a subscale of spiritual well-being, as well as increases in passive suicidal activation in the clinical sample, which did not change in the control sample. Psychological symptoms did not significantly change in either group. Significant group effects show an increase in resilience in the clinical sample. Resilience and peace turned out to be protective factors for negative mental health outcomes. However, loneliness, which interestingly increased only in the control sample, was shown to be an overall potential risk factor. Our results highlight the complex implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health outcomes of different groups in the population, demonstrating the necessity of further research, specifically regarding the risk of active and passive suicidal activation. Highlighted protective factors are discussed in regards to spirituality (i.e., peace), which is not strictly related to religion but rather personal spirituality related to the meaning of situations of one's life, as well as in terms of mental health interventions.

Suicidal Behavior and Its Association With Psychological Distress, Coping Mechanisms, and Resilience: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Recent literature reveals that psychological factors such as resilience and coping mechanisms can act as buffers against suicide risk. Indian literature on the interplay between psychological risk and protective factors of suicidal behavior is scarce. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was done among suicide attempters in a tertiary care hospital in Southern India. A semi-structured proforma was used to obtain sociodemographic data and suicide attempt characteristics. Suicide intent, lethality, stressful life events, perceived stress, subjective distress, coping strategies, and resilience were recorded using standard rating scales. Inferential analyses were carried out with p≤ 0.05 set as statistical significance. Results Pesticide poisoning (46.7%) was the most common mode of suicide attempt. Significant gender differences emerged in the mode of suicide attempt, coping strategies, and resilience. Depression (48.7%) was the most common psychiatric comorbidity. Increased perceived stress was associated with the presence of psychiatric comorbidity, past history of suicide attempts, and high-intent suicide attempts. Maladaptive coping strategies were associated with substance abuse and a history of past suicide attempts. Low resilience levels were associated with hanging attempts, psychiatric or substance use disorder comorbidity, past history of suicide attempts, high-intent suicide attempts, and less lethal suicide attempts. Conclusion Perceived stress levels, coping strategies, and resilience have significant relationships with suicidal behavior and act as avenues for suicide prevention efforts.

Introversion, Alexithymia, and Hostility: A Path Analysis From Personality to Suicidal Ideation Among University Students

PURPOSE

The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between state (i.e., hostility) and trait (i.e., social detachment, alexithymia) psychological constructs associated with suicidal ideation among university students.

METHODS

A group of 190 university students was consecutively recruited in the period between September 2022 and March 2023. After a clinical interview, a series of psychological tests were administered: the Cattell's 16-Personality Factors Questionnaire (16PF), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), and the anamnestic form of the Cognitive Behavioral Assessment (CBA2.0), which contains a specific question regarding the suicidal ideation.

RESULTS

The analyses demonstrated that alexithymia fully mediated the relationship between a particular aspect of introversion (social detachment or low warmth) and hostility which, in turn, seemed to be a significant predictor of suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

The path analysis conducted seemed to highlight the importance of personality traits, such as social detachment and the ability to recognize and express one's internal states, on the mental health of university students in terms of hostility and suicidal ideation. Considering that the reduction of suicide mortality has been prioritized as a global target in the 15-19 age group, identifying the psychological factors associated with it is fundamental.

Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Among Mexican University Students Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental health of populations around the world, but few longitudinal studies of its impact on suicidal thoughts and behaviors have been published especially from low- and middle-income countries.

METHODS

This is a prospective cohort study of 1,385 first-year students from 5 Universities in Mexico followed-up for 1 year. We report 1-year cumulative incidence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors before (September 19, 2019-March 29, 2020) and during the COVID-19 period (March 30, 2020-June 30, 2020), focusing on those in the COVID-19 period with risk conditions and positive coping strategies during the pandemic.

RESULTS

There was an increase in the incidence of suicidal ideation during the COVID-19 period compared to the pre-COVID-19 period (RR 1.65, 95%CI 1.08-2.50). This increase was mostly found among students with heightened sense of vulnerability (RR 1.95), any poor coping behavior (RR 2.40) and a prior mental disorder (RR 2.41). While we found no evidence of an increased risk of suicidal planning or attempts, there was evidence that those without lifetime mental health disorders were at greater risk of suicidal plans than those with these disorders especially if they had poor coping strategies (RR 3.14).

CONCLUSION

In the short term, how students deal with the pandemic, being at high risk and having poor coping behavior, increased the new occurrence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Studies with longer follow-up and interventions to reduce or enhance these behaviors are needed.HIGHLIGHTSSuicidal ideation increased during the COVID-19 periodThose with heightened sense of vulnerability and poor coping were more affectedStudies with longer follow-up are needed.

Prevalence of suicidal ideation and correlated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis of 113 studies from 31 countries

The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of suicidal ideation and correlated risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Web of Science (WOS) and PubMed were searched according to a pre-set strategy. A total of 132 studies were identified, 104 of which were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of suicidal ideation was approximately 14.7% (95%CI: 12.5%, 16.8%, P < 0.01) in the general population, approximately 22.4% (95%CI: 17.1%, 27.8%, P < 0.01）in adolescents, approximately 21.0% (95%CI: 12.8%, 29.2%, P < 0.01) in psychiatric patients, approximately 20.6% (95%CI: 18.7%, 22.5%, P < 0.01）in university students, approximately 18.9% (95%CI: 8.3%, 29.5%, P < 0.01) in younger adults, approximately 10.6% (95%CI: 1.0%, 20.2%, P = 0.031) in COVID-19 patients and approximately 7.4% (95%CI: 4.3%, 10.5%, P < 0.01) in healthcare workers. The prevalence in North America was approximately 16.0% (95%CI: 13.6%-18.4%, P < 0.001), approximately 14.5% in Asia (95%CI: 9.5%-19.4%, P < 0.001), approximately 10.5% in Europe (95%CI: 8.5%-12.4%, P < 0.001), and approximately 20.5% in South America (95%CI: 19.5%-21.5%, P < 0.001). The following were risk factors which might be correlated with suicidal ideation: severe anxiety symptoms, mild to moderate depression, a strong feeling of loneliness/social isolation, poor sleep quality, having COVID-19-related experience, having quarantine or lockdown experience, being female, being single or divorced, having financial problems and having a history of suicidal ideation/attempt. This article reports the prevalence of suicidal ideation and discussing potential risk factors during the pandemic among general population and vulnerable groups. Early detection and follow-up were necessary for the noteworthy population.

Psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in a Hispanic sample: Testing the buffering role of resilience and perceived social support

The current study examined the effects of specific COVID-19 stressors (i.e., family member's death due to COVID-19, COVID-19 infection, and school/financial stressors) on stress, anxiety, and depression and the potential buffering roles of resilience and perceived social support in the association between COVID-19 stressors and psychological symptoms in a Hispanic university student sample (n = 664). Participants were classified in three stressor groups: those reporting a family member's death due to COVID-19 (15.7%), those reporting their own or a family member's COVID-19 infection but no COVID-19 death (35.5%), and those reporting only school and/or financial stressors due to the pandemic (48.8%). Participants completed self-report measures online. Over 50% of participants with a COVID-19 death or infection in the family reported clinical levels of depression symptoms and over 40% endorsed clinically elevated anxiety symptoms. A series of moderation analyses with multi-categorical predictors found that among relatively highly resilient people, the magnitudes of the impact of COVID-19 infection or death on stress, anxiety, and depression were similar to the effect of a financial/school stressor alone, suggesting the buffering role of resilience. Perceived social support did not play a buffering role in the associations. Family member death due to COVID-19 and COVID-19 infection had significant negative psychological impacts on Hispanic young adults. Internal personal resources such as resilience, rather than external personal resources such as perceived social support, appear to be a critical factor that may help protect Hispanic individuals' mental health from the worst stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Relationship of Internet Gaming Addiction and Suicidal Ideation among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Negative Emotion and the Moderating Role of Hope

Recently, internet gaming addiction and suicide have been global public health issues among adolescents. This study used convenience sampling and surveyed 1906 Chinese adolescents to investigate the relationship between internet gaming addiction and suicidal ideation and the role of negative emotion and hope in the relationship between the two. The results showed that the detection rate of internet gaming addiction among adolescents was 17.16% and the detection rate of suicidal ideation was 16.37%. Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between internet gaming addiction and suicidal ideation. Negative emotion partially mediated the relationship between internet gaming addiction and suicidal ideation. In addition, hope moderated the relationship between negative emotion and suicidal ideation. The effect of negative emotion on suicidal ideation decreased as hope increased. These findings suggest that the role of emotion and hope in coping with adolescent internet gaming addiction and suicidal ideation should be emphasized.

A Longitudinal Network Analysis of the Interactions of Risk and Protective Factors for Suicidal Potential in Early Adolescents

Few studies have applied the "ideation-to-action" theories and the buffering hypothesis of resilience to suicide in early adolescents, and existing research is primarily cross-sectional. This study examined the interactions between risk factors (i.e., thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and hopelessness), protective factors (i.e., resilience, self-efficacy, and subjective happiness), and suicidal potential (i.e., family distress, anxious-impulsive depression, and suicidal ideation or acts) in early adolescents. The participants (N = 1615; 55.6% females; M _age = 10.93, SD _age = 1.14, range: 9-15) who were recruited from four primary and four secondary schools in Hong Kong completed the survey in 2020 and 2021. The contemporaneous networks suggested that perceived burdensomeness and hopelessness were positively associated with suicidal potential. Protective factors were negatively associated with risk factors studied and suicidal potential. The node with the greatest centrality strength was anxious-impulsive depression. The nodes most likely to connect with other constructs were self-efficacy and hopelessness. A temporal network suggested the predictive effect of hopelessness and the protective effect of subjective happiness on future suicidal ideation or acts. Moreover, self-efficacy was found to buffer the impact of hopelessness on future suicidal ideation or acts. These findings highlighted the contribution of hopelessness to suicidal potential among early adolescents and the buffering effects of subjective happiness and self-efficacy.

Mapping the research landscape of Covid-19 from social sciences perspective: a bibliometric analysis

COVID-19 has emerged as a widely researched topic and the academia has taken interest in the effects of COVID-19 in various sectors of human life and society. Most of the bibliometric research addresses scientific contributions in medicine, health, and virology related topics, with very little emphasis on social sciences. Therefore, to address this gap, a bibliometric analysis of research related to COVID-19 in the subject area of social sciences was performed on selected publications from January 2020 to mid-2021. A total of 9289 articles were analysed to identify major emerging themes of Covid-19 and social sciences and how research collaborations between countries have helped in communicating critical issues to academia. The empirical results indicate the dominance of psychology and business economics subjects in the social sciences sphere, with the emerging themes as psychosocial problems among people, economics, the outbreak of SARS, and discussions on the quality of life in terms of surroundings and environment. The study also suggests that more collaborations between social scientists working in different nations is required to explore the less focussed themes addressing the local challenges of poor nations.

Validation of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 in South Africa: Item Response Theory and Classical Test Theory

Purpose

During times of crisis, and in particular during the current COVID-19 pandemic, resistance resources, such as resilience, are key to managing the negative impacts of the crisis. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 has been extensively used to assess resilience. In the current study, we examined the reliability, validity and dimensionality of this instrument using Rasch analysis, Mokken analysis and classical test theory. Using both item response theory and classical test theory provides a more comprehensive overview of the psychometric properties of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10.

Participants and Methods

School teachers from South Africa (N = 355) constituted the sample for the study and they completed the following scales: Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Sense of Coherence Scale.

Results

Both item response theory and classical test theory provided strong evidence for the reliability and validity of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10. In addition, the analyses provided support for considering the scale as essentially unidimensional.

Conclusion

The obtained results provide additional support for the reliability and validity, of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 for samples from diverse contexts.

Suicidal Behaviours During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Review

Objective

Novel COVID-19 disease has become a major concern worldwide, and a recent line of research warned that the context of the COVID-19 pandemic may be a major risk factor for developing severe suicidal behaviors. A broad systematic review is needed to cover the studies that have already assessed the potential underlying factors for suicidal behaviors in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Method

A total of 52 studies met the inclusion criteria, and data were then described according to the subsequent categories: (1) countries where the studies were carried out; (2) factors impacting suicidal behaviors during the COVID-19 outbreak; and (3) examination of the observed populations.

Results

Findings of the current systematic review suggest that there is a certain amount of heterogeneity in factors impacting suicidal behaviors during the COVID-19 outbreak, with economic downturn, psychiatric vulnerability, isolation and quarantine, health concerns, and relational difficulties being the most prominent reasons for developing suicidal behaviors during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Conclusions

Timely interventions are needed to prevent suicidal behaviors in both the clinical and general populations, and in this regard, the creation of standard procedures may speed up the process.

Pandemic Lessons: Resilience and Hope

In the United States, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic took a heavy toll on older adults, particularly those residing in long-term care facilities who were reduced to extended periods of isolation from families, friends, and health care providers. The concepts of resilience and hope became extremely relevant in the context of pandemic-related restrictions that exacerbated loneliness across all age groups. A review of evidence indicates that resilience is defined as an on-going, conscious process of adaptation in the face of adversity, whereas hope is defined as a resilience moderator through its process of making sense of a difficult situation. Cognitive-behavioral therapy and life review interventions were found to effectively enhance hope, thus contributing to increased resilience in older adults diagnosed with depression, bereavement, and/or medical conditions. Mental health providers at any level of practice should assess older adults for levels of loneliness, isolation, resilience, and hope and consider interventions to boost resilience and hope. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60(1), 10-12.].