Cultural differences in the impact of social support on psychological and biological stress responses

Communication rules regarding support seeking in patients with a physical illness, according to people with a Surinamese or a Dutch cultural background

Objective

People with different cultural backgrounds can evaluate the appropriateness of direct and indirect support seeking differently. In this study we explored how direct and indirect communication rules for verbal support seeking by patients with diabetes were perceived among Dutch and Surinamese female participants, and whether the appropriateness differed for the ingroup, outgroup and intercultural support seeker-support provider interactions.

Methods

The study applied a 2 (direct versus indirect support seeking) X 2 (Surinamese patient versus Dutch patient) X 2 (Surinamese support provider versus Dutch support provider)-design. Dutch and Surinamese participants (N = 686) were randomly assigned to one of the eight conditions in which they were provided with a depiction of the patient, the direct or indirect request for help, and the help provider. The main outcome was the rated appropriateness of the help-seeking request in the specific context.

Results

The results revealed a significant main effect of communication style: both, Surinamese and Dutch participants evaluated the direct help-seeking as more appropriate compared to indirect help-seeking, independent of patient or provider culture. This effect was particularly strong in participants who scored high on the individual difference in independent self, as shown by a significant interaction.

Discussion

Literature usually identifies that Surinamese and Dutch populations have different cultural backgrounds and values that express themselves in different attitudes, in general more collectivistic and more individualistic, respectively. However, with regard to help seeking preferences the study results did not verify this expectation. These findings underscore the importance of the support providers' role in assessing and understanding the individuals' communication style with regard to help-seeking, rather than assuming communication preferences on the basis of cultural background.

How do you see me? The impact of perceived societal recognition on PTSD symptoms amongst Norwegian peacekeepers

Background: The peacekeeper role is different to that of traditional combat, however, peacekeepers, like combat soldiers, may also be exposed to high levels of dangerous and/or potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs).Objective: It was hypothesized that given the centrality of societal approval for the peacekeeping mission, in addition to the known relevance of perceived social support, perceived societal recognition would influence PTSD symptoms (PTSS) and depression. It was hypothesized that perceived societal recognition would moderate the effect of exposure to potentially traumatic events and PMIEs on psychological outcomes.Method: 8341, predominantly male, former UNIFIL peacekeepers, almost three decades following deployment, answered a survey to determine the impact of perceived social support and perceived societal recognition, on PTSS and depression symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed for PTSS and depression separately and moderation analysis was performed for perceived societal recognition.Results: Exposure to potentially traumatic events showed the greatest predictive value for PTSS and exposure to PMIEs and potentially traumatic events were equally predictive of depression symptoms. While perceived social support presented the strongest buffer for PTSS and depression symptoms following UNIFIL deployment, perceived societal recognition also significantly contributed to the prediction of both PTSS and depression symptoms. There was a weak moderation effect of perceived societal recognition on trauma type in the development of PTSS.Conclusions: Even decades following peacekeeping deployment, military experiences have a significant impact on psychological functioning. This impact is both from the types of events experienced and from the perception of social and societal support upon return home.

Association of explicit and implicit social support with psychological adjustment in Chinese women with breast cancer: An interpersonal explanation

This study aimed to examine the linear and non-linear relationship between explicit and implicit social support and psychological adjustment as well as the underlying interpersonal mechanisms in a sample of Chinese women with breast cancer (n = 202). The results showed that explicit social support was associated with poorer psychological adjustment, while implicit social support exhibited the opposite trend. Moreover, the association between implicit social support and psychological adjustment was stronger at lower levels of implicit social support, but it weakened or disappeared at moderate or higher levels. Furthermore, we found that all the associations between social support and psychological adjustment could be explained by relationship concerns and perceived burdensomeness. These findings emphasize the importance of providing social support and supportive care to patients who have unmet supportive care needs, in line with cultural norms and expectations.

Quality of life among residents of Gaza, Palestine: the predictive role of mental distress, fear of COVID-19, and social support

BACKGROUND

Living under siege and deteriorated health, social, educational, and economic conditions and isolation with scarce opportunities to fulfil basic needs and aspirations affect the civil population's mental health and perceived quality of life. In this cross-sectional investigation, we explored the consequences of mental distress, fear of COVID-19, and social support for QoL in the Gaza strip.

METHODS

Nine hundred seventy nine (32.9% males; 67.1% females; mean age was 35.2 years; s.d. = 11.4) adults were recruited in the Gaza strip. We used the Fear for COVID-19 scale (FCS-19), The WHOQOL-BREF Scale, Berlin Social Support Scale (BSSS), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). Pearson correlation coefficient was computed to assess relationships between quality of life, fear of COVID19, mental distress, and social support; a hierarchical regression analysis was used to assess the association between QoL as the dependent variable and demographic variables and fear of COVID19, mental health, and social support as the independent variables.

RESULTS

QoL was positively associated with perceived emotion, instrumental, and support seeking. Depression, anxiety, stress, and fear of COVID19 were negatively associated with quality of life. Gender was significantly associated with lower QoL. The study highlighted that the level of fear of COVID-19 was negatively influencing individuals' quality of life (QoL). This fear was negatively associated to psychological distress, gender, place of residence, and family type. Lower-educated and poorer participants had lower QoL scores. Conversely, female gender was notably linked to a lower QOL. The hierarchical regression confirmed that COVID-19 was an added burden for the Palestinian population. The fear of COVID-19 term added a 6.2% variance in QoL. In the final analysis, all predictors were statistically significant, with the fear of COVID-19 term recording a higher contribution of 22.5%, followed by depression term with 21.5%, perceived emotional 18.5%, income at 15.4%, and perceived instruments at 14.8% towards QoL.

CONCLUSIONS

Practitioners and policymakers must consider the severe violation of human rights when developing psychosocial programs to intervene in the COVID-19 crisis.

Associations Between Psychological Stress and Hand Pain Among Rural and Urban Adults: Findings From the KoGES Community Cohort Study

Despite known health disparities in chronic pain conditions between rural and urban adults, few studies have examined whether longitudinal associations between psychological stress and hand pain differ. Utilizing community-based cohort data, this study examined whether rural and urban adults differed in the extent to which psychological distress was associated with hand osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms and later functional limitations related to hand pain. Community-dwelling adults (mean age = 51.97, 52.3% women) in a rural (n = 2,971) and urban area (n = 2,782) provided demographic data at baseline and, at a 4-year follow-up, responded to questionnaires about psychological distress and clinical symptoms of hand OA. Levels of functional limitations in hands were assessed at an 8-year follow-up. Ordinal logistic and linear regression were conducted to examine the effects of psychological distress on hand OA symptoms and functional limitations, and whether associations between psychological distress and these pain outcomes were moderated by residential area. The results showed that psychological distress was associated with a higher risk for hand OA symptoms and functional limitations, even after adjusting for demographic and health covariates. There was significant moderation by residential area, such that the association between psychological distress and hand OA was significant only among rural adults and the association with functional limitations was stronger in rural adults than urban adults. Findings suggest greater vulnerability to hand arthritis and hand-related functional limitations among rural adults and the potential for tailored intervention programs to help resolve health disparities among rural communities. PERSPECTIVE: This study compares the association between psychological distress and hand pain outcomes between rural and urban adults using community-based cohort data and suggests that rural adults are more vulnerable to experiencing negative effects of psychological distress on concurrent hand OA symptoms and longitudinal functional limitations in hands.

The quality of life and its inter-relationship with posttraumatic stress disorder and social support in two post-conflict communities in Nigeria

The study aimed to compare the quality of life (QoL) in two communities with different exposures to conflict and investigate the inter-relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social support, and QoL. This is a cross-sectional with 413 participants. Study instruments included the PTSD module of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHOQoL-BREF), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The family domain of social support was protective of both PTSD and QoL. Except for the relationship between community's location and the physical subscale of the QoL, a hierarchical regression analysis showed that all the independent variables were significantly associated with the QoL domains. Direct exposure to crises impaired QoL more than areas indirectly exposed. PTSD and the family domain of social support play a significant role in the QoL outcome. This suggests that therapeutic intervention to improve QoL should target these key variables.

Analyzing the Impact of Social and Psychiatric Factors in Patients Who Undergo Body Contouring Procedures

BACKGROUND

As the prevalence of obesity increases, the number of patients seeking body contouring procedures after bariatric surgery for massive weight loss is increasing. Although the positive impact of bariatric surgery on physical and emotional health is well-described, few studies have reported on the psychosocial well-being of patients undergoing body contouring procedures. Psychosocial well-being can impact patient satisfaction and maintenance of weight loss, and is an important area to study.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to characterize social and psychiatric factors of patients undergoing body contouring surgery, and to evaluate their impact on maintenance of weight loss.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed of patients who presented to a single institution for body contouring procedures between 2002 and 2018. Demographic details, medical history, psychosocial support, and operative details were collected. Univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regressions were performed with R statistical software (version 1.3.1093).

RESULTS

A total of 1187 patients underwent at least 1 body contouring procedure during the study time frame. Mean BMI at presentation was 31.21 ± 10.49 kg/m2. Patients diagnosed with obesity at age 18 or older had significantly greater odds of suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (odds ratio [OR] 1.08 [95% CI, 1.02-1.15], P = .008). Patients with spousal support had 1.93 times higher odds of having maintained postbariatric weight loss at their 6-month follow-up (OR 1.93 [95% CI, 1.84-2.01], P = .028).

CONCLUSIONS

Social support and age of obesity diagnosis impact psychological well-being and maintenance of weight loss following body contouring procedures.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3

The mediating role of coping self-efficacy on social support and PTSD symptom severity among injury survivors

BACKGROUND

Social support confers a protective effect against elevated PTSD symptomatology following injury. However, little is known about the mechanisms through which social support conveys this protective mental health effect in injury survivors. Coping self-efficacy is linked to both social support and PTSD symptomatology but has not been examined.

OBJECTIVE

To test coping self-efficacy as a mechanism for the relationship between social support and PTSD symptom severity among injury survivors.

METHOD AND DESIGN

Participants consisted of 61 injury survivors (62.3% male, 72.1% White) admitted to a Level-1 Trauma Center. Social support was assessed at 2-weeks post-injury; coping self-efficacy at 6-weeks post-injury; and PTSD symptom severity at 3-months post-injury.

RESULTS

A statistically significant indirect effect was found for the social support - coping self-efficacy - PTSD symptomatology pathway, providing evidence of mediation even after controlling for age, sex, race, and education (B = -0.51, SE = 0.18, CI = -0.92, -0.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Social support may exert an effect on PTSD symptom severity post-injury through its connection with coping self-efficacy. Coping self-efficacy represents an important intervention target following injury for those survivors with lower social support who are at risk for elevated PTSD symptom severity levels.

Social support moderates the relationship between interpersonal trauma and suicidal behaviors among college students

PARTICIPANTS

A racially diverse sample of 350 undergraduate students was utilized.

METHODS

Participants completed online, self-report questionnaires on lifetime traumatic experiences, suicidal behaviors, and perceived social support.

RESULTS

The experience of IPT was significantly associated with suicidal behavior (rs =.29, p < .001), and social support significantly moderated this relationship, F(3, 343) = 36.85, p < .001, ΔR2 = .02, p = .008. IPT survivors with greater levels of perceived social support reported less suicidal behavior compared to IPT survivors with low levels of perceived social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Suicide prevention efforts may be improved through the development of trauma-focused interventions devised to enhance perceptions of social support among college students experiencing IPT.

Other-Oriented Empathetic Concern as the Underlying Factor of Extrinsic Emotion Regulation Motives and Its Positive Application for Social Well-Being

Purpose

In recent years, research on interpersonal emotion regulation has garnered increasing attention. Extrinsic emotion regulation (EER) or the regulation of others' emotions is associated with individual personal relationships and mental health outcomes. However, investigations into why people engage in extrinsic emotion regulation are relatively rare. The current study aimed to identify the underlying factor structure of the motives of extrinsic emotion regulation, based on the Extrinsic Emotion Regulation Motives Scale (EERMS), to examine how these factors related to people's moral identity and social relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants and Methods

The participants of this study were 464 adults (73.1% females) from China who completed an online survey based on EERMS and other related measures. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was utilized to examine the underlying structure of EER motives followed by a bifactor EFA (bi-EFA).

Results

Analyses revealed that the bi-EFA model, with an overarching factor (other-oriented empathetic concern) and three specific factors (self-orientation, reciprocation, and obligation), was best applied to the data. These factors were differently associated with social well-being indicators (moral self-identity, peer relationship quality, and perceived social support).

Conclusion

This preliminary study supports the use of a hierarchical perspective to understand the different dimensions of motives for extrinsic emotion regulation.

Cultural differences in explicit and implicit support provision and underlying motivations for self-esteem, closeness, and relational concerns

This research explores how culture influences the motivations underlying explicit (emotional and instrumental) and implicit (companionship and attentiveness) support provision. Two studies (N = 1,106) compared the responses of European Americans and Japanese individuals to a close other's stressful event. The results showed that European Americans were more likely than Japanese to provide explicit support and more motivated to increase the close other's self-esteem and feeling of closeness. Conversely, Japanese individuals were more likely to provide attentiveness support, motivated by concern for an entire group and a friend. These findings support the motivation as a mediator hypothesis. On the other hand, the culture as a moderator hypothesis applied to the association between concern for an entire group motivation and implicit support provision. Specifically, concern for an entire group motivation predicted companionship support provision only in Japanese, while it predicted attentiveness support provision mainly in European Americans.

Women's experience of perinatal support in a high migrant Australian population during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

As a COVID-19 risk mitigation measure, Australia closed its international borders for two years with significant socioeconomic disruption including impacting approximately 30% of the Australian population who are migrants. Migrant populations during the peripartum often rely on overseas relatives visiting for social support. High quality social support is known to lead to improved health outcomes with disruption to support a recognised health risk.

AIM

To explore women's experience of peripartum social support during the COVID-19 pandemic in a high migrant population. To quantify type and frequency of support to identify characteristics of vulnerable perinatal populations for future pandemic preparedness.

METHODS

A mixed methods study with semi-structured interviews and a quantitative survey was conducted from October 2020 to April 2021. A thematic approach was used for analysis.

RESULTS

There were 24 participants interviewed both antenatally and postnatally (22 antenatal; 18 postnatal). Fourteen women were migrants and 10 Australian born. Main themes included; 'Significant disruption and loss of peripartum support during the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing impact for migrant women'; 'Husbands/partners filling the support gap' and 'Holding on by a virtual thread'. Half of the participants felt unsupported antenatally. For Australian born women, this dissipated postnatally, but migrants continued to feel unsupported. Migrant women discussed partners stepped into traditional roles and duties of absent mothers and mothers-in-law who were only available virtually.

CONCLUSION

This study identified disrupted social support for migrant women during the pandemic, providing further evidence that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted migrant populations. However, the benefits identified in this study included high use of virtual support, which could be leveraged for improving clinical care in the present and in future pandemics. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted most women's peripartum social support with migrant families having ongoing disruption. Gains in the pandemic included greater gender equity for domestic work as husbands/partners increased their contribution to domestic work and childcare.

Social support score in patients with malignant diseases-with sociodemographic and medical characteristics

Introduction

Social support as a complex construct has a positive influence not only on a patient's condition but also on the process of the patient's emotional adjustment to cancer. The goal of this study is to investigate aspects of the level of social support in oncology patients and its interconnection with sociodemographic and medical variables.

Method

The study was conducted as a prospective observational study in 2020, including 250 patients aged 19 and over, both sexes, with a diagnosis of oncological disease. The research was conducted in the Department of General Medicine of the Health Center Trstenik, Central Serbia, after approval by the Ethics Committee of the Health Center Trstenik, Central Serbia. A social support assessment questionnaire (Oslo-3 Social Support Scale) was used as a research instrument.

Results

Data collected from the entire study population showed that bad social support was present in almost 90% of cases. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis showed a statistically significant influence of the following variables on the bad social support: education level, activity limitation, difficulties in performing daily activities, the impact of pain on the performance of activities, the need for additional help with activity, the need for help at home, unfulfilled needs for health care, means of information, anxiety score and depression score.

Conclusion

Interventions to increase social support may be important for enhancing mental health and quality of life in cancer patients.

Daily discrimination, church support, personal mastery, and psychological distress in black people in the United States

OBJECTIVE

This study used the stress process model to test the mediating effects of personal mastery and moderating effects of church-based social support on the relationship between daily discrimination and psychological distress across three age groups of African American and Afro-Caribbean adults.

METHODS

Using a national sample of 5008 African Americans and Afro-Caribbean adults from the National Survey of American Life Study, this study employs structural equation modeling to investigate the relationships between daily discrimination, personal mastery, church-based social support, and psychological distress.

RESULTS

Daily discrimination was an independent predictor of psychological distress across all groups. Group- and age-specific comparisons revealed significant differences in the experience of daily discrimination and psychological distress. Mastery was a partial mediator of the relationship between discrimination and psychological distress among Afro-Caribbeans while church support was a significant moderator only among the young and older African Americans.

IMPLICATIONS

Together, our study findings provide useful first steps towards developing interventions to reduce the adverse psychological impacts of daily discrimination on African Americans and Afro-Caribbeans. Intervention efforts such as individual psychotherapy aimed to improve Afro-Caribbean individuals' sense of mastery would be a partial solution to alleviating the adverse effects of discrimination on their psychological health.

Cross-cultural adaptation of Chinese international students: Effects of distant and close support-seeking

Introduction

Social support-seeking is considered to be an effective way for international students to cope with their acculturative stress and contribute to cross-cultural adaptation. In addition to support from people in the host country (close support), the ease of online communication now allows international students to receive additional support from people back in their home country (distant support). However, little research has investigated whether distant support works as effectively as close support. In two studies, we examined the differential effect of distant and close support-seeking on the psychological adaptation of Chinese international students in the host country and how acculturation orientations relate to the use of these two types of support.

Methods

Chinese international students in Japan (Study 1; N = 172) and the United States (Study 2; N = 118) completed an online survey that assessed participants’ host/home culture orientation, distant emotional/instrumental support-seeking, close emotional/instrumental support-seeking, and psychological adaptation.

Results

Results showed that distant emotional support-seeking negatively predicted psychological adaptation in the host country. Nevertheless, distant emotional support-seeking alleviated feelings of loneliness in Chinese international students as close emotional support-seeking did (Study 2). Also, the results showed that international students with higher home-culture orientation sought more distant support, whereas those with higher host-culture orientation sought more close support. Further, Chinese-culture orientation increased distant emotional support-seeking, decreasing psychological adaptation as well as loneliness.

Discussion

These findings highlight the importance of considering the source and types of support when discussing the implications of social support for the cross-cultural adaptation of international students.

Ecological environment pressure state and response system for coupling coordinate development: an application on china data

This research aims to develop an ecological carrying capacity index for the ecological environment under the principle of the pressure-state-response framework model and discusses the coupling coordination of ecological environment pressure, state, and response system of the urban region in china from 2011 to 2020. Furthermore, predicated the degree of security warning for each year while establishing the ecological carrying capacity index and the urban ecological coupling model. Results specify that the coordination degree of urban ecological development in Nanchang, Jiangxi has been improved year by year, the ecological carrying capacity security index shows an upward tendency from the overall view, and the security warning degree rises from comparative insecurity to comparative security. The analysis demonstrates that in the process of national ecological civilization construction demonstration zone construction, the ecological resources and environmental policies adopted by Nanchang city have played a great role in promoting ecological security. However, the ecological security index in Nanchang is still below 0.6, far from the high-security level (0.77), and the government and the public still need to do a lot to improve ecological security.

Racial/ethnic differences in social support and health among Asian American and non-Hispanic White midlife women: Results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN)

OBJECTIVE

Although prior research suggests Asian Americans experience physical health advantages relative to other racial/ethnic groups, increasing evidence points to health inequalities within Asian American subgroups. Disparities are especially pronounced among middle-aged Asian American women, who remain an understudied population, despite studies showing that midlife corresponds with distinct social stressors and changes in the availability of protective resources, such as social support. Thus, the purpose of the study was to examine racial/ethnic differences in social support and self-rated health (SRH) among middle-aged women.

DESIGN

With data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN; N = 1258), we used modified Poisson regression models to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR), examining how social support shaped the risk of fair-to-poor SRH by race/ethnicity. We tested interactions between perceived stress, social support and race/ethnicity to determine whether the stress-buffering role of social support varies by group.

RESULTS

Results demonstrate racial/ethnic differences in SRH. Higher levels of social support were linked to higher fair-to-poor SRH among Chinese American women (IRR = 1.24; 95% CI [1.02, 1.52]); while greater social support conferred lower risk among White women. Interaction analyses revealed additional nuances in the stress-buffering effects of social support among Chinese American women, such that the health benefits of social support depended on levels of perceived stress (IRR = 0.75; 95% CI [0.57, 1.00]).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight important distinctions in the ways that psychosocial factors shape health across racial/ethnic groups. In particular, this study helps advance our understanding of important subgroup differences in the stress-buffering role of social support for Asian American midlife women. Interventions should focus on identifying sources of social strain among Asian American women that can increase the risk for poor health and identify alternative sources of support that mitigate stressors to improve health.

Thriving together: the benefits of women's social ties for physical, psychological and relationship health

The relationship between social support and well-being is well established in social psychology, with evidence suggesting that these benefits are especially prominent among women. When faced with an environmental stressor, women are more likely to adopt a tend-and-befriend strategy rather than fight-or-flight. Furthermore, female friendships tend to be higher in self-disclosure and more frequently relied on for social support, which is associated with physical and psychological benefits. Women are also more effective at providing social support, further augmenting those benefits. We begin with an overview of the characteristics of women's social ties and how they can be especially useful in times of stress. We then transition to the benefits of female social networks even in the absence of negative events and incorporate research from health and social psychology to consider the positive implications of having strong social bonds and the negative implications of lacking such bonds. Additionally, we consider cross-cultural differences in tendencies to seek out social support and its subsequent benefits, as well as the need for more research with culturally diverse samples. It remains unclear the extent to which patterns of social support benefits for women vary cross-culturally. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.

Perceived COVID-19 susceptibility and preventive behaviors: moderating effects of social support in Italy and South Korea

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic hit Italy much harder than South Korea. As a way of explaining the different impact in the two countries, this study examines the moderating role of social support on the relationship between perceived susceptibility and preventive behaviors in the two countries.

METHODS

Surveys were conducted in South Korea (n = 1396) and Italy (n = 487) of participants aged 50 to 89 years.

RESULTS

South Koreans felt higher levels of perceived social support than their Italian counterparts. As would be expected, greater perceived susceptibility was associated with increased preventive behavior. Furthermore, a significant three-way interaction effect was found for perceived susceptibility, social support, and country. For Italians, a person who feels him/herself highly susceptible will increase preventive behaviors, if there is a lot of social support. On the other hand, for South Koreans, those with a low level of susceptibility perform more preventive measures than people with a high level of susceptibility if there is a lot of social support.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insights into how cognitive factors, such as susceptibility and severity, as well as social and environmental factors can be taken into account, and the public be told the real risk and given behavioral guidelines when a pandemic is approaching. Given the critical role of social support as a coping mechanism in crisis situations, societies should mull over ways to increase emotional and instrumental support.

Social support and posttraumatic growth: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The beneficial role of social support on posttraumatic growth (PTG) has been assumed by theoretical models and established in some studies. However, there are inconsistent findings and little knowledge on moderators. The present study aims to investigate the overall effect size of the relationship and identify factors affecting the association.

METHODS

Six electronic databases were searched. Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) were used to evaluate the quality of studies. Study quality, study design, trauma type, PTG measure, social support measure, continent, publishing language, sample size, gender, religion, and age were analyzed as moderators. Meta-regression was conducted with the significant differential predictors in moderator analysis.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis included 217 samples and a total of 47,940 participants from both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies. There was a medium positive effect size between social support and PTG in random effect model, r = 0.418, p < .001. The meta-regression analysis indicated that the association between social support and PTG was stronger among caregivers (vs. other traumatized samples), Chinese, older individuals and studies with smaller sample size.

LIMITATIONS

Only survey results were included in the analysis. The retrospective self-report may limit a more objective assessment of the relations. In addition, 87 % of the studies were cross-sectional, which may influence the estimation of a valid effect size.

CONCLUSIONS

Regarding the medium positive association between social support and PTG, it is important to enhance social support for trauma survivors. It will be especially effective for caregivers, Chinese, and older people.

Development and validation of caregiver stress and support scale for caregivers of individuals with disabilities in Singapore

PURPOSE

Few available measures include culturally salient stressors and support systems for caregivers of offspring with disabilities in Asia. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a self-report measure that included relevant stressors and sources of support for caregivers of offspring with disabilities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Open-ended interviews with eight caregivers in Singapore, along with existing measures were used to develop items. The original 34 items were administered to caregivers of offspring with disabilities in Singapore (n = 234, 85% mothers). Based on an examination of factor loadings, internal consistency, and feedback from professionals, the scale was revised and administered to 370 caregivers (78% mothers), along with other measures of stress, support, depression, and well-being.

RESULTS

Exploratory factor analysis of the original 34-item scale yielded two factors, Sources of Stress and Sources of Support. After scale revision, confirmatory factor analysis showed that a two-factor structure demonstrated a fair fit. The subscales showed adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability, and significant associations in expected directions with other measures of stress and support, as well as with depressive symptoms and well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

The measure has adequate reliability and validity, with implications for use by local service providers.Implications for rehabilitationCaregivers face unique challenges, such as stressors associated with caregiving, with varying support systems available to reduce the stress.A psychometrically-sound measure can be used to assess sources of stress and support, monitor services, and address service gaps for caregivers.The Sources of Caregiver Stress and Support Scale is a contextually-sensitive self-report measure for caregivers of people with disabilities in Singapore.

Perceptions of social rigidity predict loneliness across the Japanese population

Loneliness is associated with mental and physical health problems and elevated suicide risk, and is increasingly widespread in modern societies. However, identifying the primary factors underlying loneliness remains a major public health challenge. Historically, loneliness was thought to result from a lack of high-quality social connections, but broader cultural factors (e.g. social norms) are increasingly recognized to also influence loneliness. Here, we used a large-scale survey (N = 4977) to assess to what degree the loneliness epidemic in Japan is associated with traditional measures of social isolation (number of close friends), cultural factors (perceptions of social rigidity, as measured by relational mobility), and socioeconomic factors (e.g. income). We confirmed that a lack of close friends is a dominant factor underlying loneliness in Japan. We also found that perceptions of the social rigidity in one’s environment was a major correlate of loneliness. Subjects who perceived lower levels of rigidity in their social environments felt significantly less lonely than those who perceived higher levels of social rigidity, though the association was weak in low income males. Thus, Japanese society and other high social rigidity cultures may need to reflect on the possibility that inflexible traditional norms of socialization are exacerbating loneliness.

The General Surgery Residency Experience: A Multicenter Study of Differences in Wellbeing by Race/Ethnicity

Objectives

We explored differences by race/ethnicity in regard to several factors that reflect or impact wellbeing.

Background

Physician wellbeing has critical ramifications for the US healthcare system, affecting clinical outcomes, patient experience, and healthcare economics. Within surgery, literature examining the association between race/ethnicity and wellbeing has been limited and inconclusive.

Methods

Residents at 16 academic General Surgery training programs completed an online questionnaire. Racial/ethnic identity, gender identity, post-graduate year (PGY) level, and gap years were self-reported. Differences by race/ethnicity in flourishing (global wellbeing) as well as factors reflecting resilience (mindfulness, personal accomplishment, workplace support, workplace control) and risk (depression, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, stress, anxiety, workplace demand) were assessed.

Results

Of 300 respondents (response rate 34%), 179 (60%) were non-male, 123 (41%) were residents of color (ROC), and 53 (18%) were from racial/ethnic groups that are underrepresented in medicine (UIM). Relative to White residents, ROC have significantly lower flourishing and higher anxiety, and these remain significant when adjusting for gender, PGY level, and gap years. Relative to residents overrepresented in medicine (OIM), UIM residents have significantly lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization after adjusting for gender, PGY level and gap years.

Conclusions

Disparities in resident wellbeing based on race/ethnicity and UIM/OIM status exist. However, the experience of ROC is not homogeneous. As part of the transformative process to address systemic racism, eliminate disparities in surgical training, and reconceptualize wellbeing as a fundamental asset for optimal surgeon performance, further understanding the specific contributors and detractors of wellbeing among different individuals and groups is critical.

The Protective Effect of Culture on Depression During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Romanian National Study

Previous studies indicated that collectivism represents a protective factor against depressive disorders, even among vulnerable populations. The protective effect of collectivism in relation to depressive disorders is often attributed to the social support networks available to individuals in collectivistic societies. The current study aims to investigate the protective effect of collectivism in the relationship between psychological vulnerabilities and depression. Moreover, we examined whether the protective effect of collectivism in relation to depression can be explained through the mechanism of social support. We measured individualism-collectivism for 42 Romanian counties ( n = 2,882) before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data for irrational cognitions, depression, and social support were collected online during the lockdown in Romania ( n = 5,310). All instruments showed acceptable measurement and scalar invariance across regions. In a multi-level regression model, county-level collectivism was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms b = −.032, 95% CI [−0.045; −0.019], while irrational cognitions were positively associated with depression b = .474, 95% CI [0.438; 0.510]. The interaction between irrational beliefs and collectivism had a significant and negative effect on depression, b = −.004, 95% CI [−0.008; −0.000]. The indirect effect of collectivism on depression via social support was tested in a two-level SEM model. Explicit and implicit social support were not significant mediators. Collectivism was negatively associated with the perceived availability of explicit social support, b = −.043, 95% CI [−0.074; −0.012]. The results support a general protective effect of collectivism on mental health but cast doubt that the mechanism for this effect is related to social support.

Do Chinese employees avoid seeking social support when coping with work stress?

Organisational psychology literature is abounded with empirical evidence of the mitigating effect that social support seeking (SSS) behaviour has on stress. However, it is unclear if this phenomenon is present in a collectivist context where workers might be hesitant to seek social support when under stress. A total of 123 employees from China completed a longitudinal survey over 4 weeks assessing their appraisals of an ongoing work stressor, coping strategies, and stress level. Path-analysis, hierarchical regression and means comparison determined the degree of fit of two theoretical perspectives (stress-buffer and main effects) to Chinese employee's SSS behaviour, and its frequency of use against other coping strategies. Results showed that SSS was not elicited by primary and secondary appraisals, but instead may be better explained by employees' collectivistic aspirations. Implications of the results were addressed in relation to stress management strategies and human resource support initiatives. Future research directions were also discussed.

Providing Support Differentially Affects Asian American and Latinx Psychosocial and Physiological Well-Being: A Pilot Study

Although substantial evidence suggests receiving social support has positive implications for well-being, less is known about how providing support can confer benefits, particularly for Asian American and Latinx individuals who are more likely to come from interdependent cultures that emphasize family obligation. Asian American and Latinx college students (N = 48; M_age = 21.44, SD = 2.61; 68.75% female) reported on anxiety before taking part in a modified laboratory task that elicited a physiological stress response as measured by total cortisol output. They were randomly assigned to write (a) a supportive note to a family member, (b) a supportive note to a close friend, or (c) about their day in a control condition after the mild lab stressor and reported on psychosocial well-being (i.e., post-task anxiety and self-esteem). Those who provided support to a family member experienced higher self-esteem compared to those in the control condition. However, there was variation in Asian American and Latinx participants’ physiological stress response (i.e., total cortisol output). The findings suggest that providing support to close others, particularly family members, can be differentially meaningful for individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Help-Seeking Tendencies and Subjective Well-Being: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of the United States and Japan

Help-seeking is commonly conceived as an instrumental behavior that improves people’s subjective well-being. However, most findings supporting a positive association between help-seeking and subjective well-being are observed in independence-preferring countries. Drawing from research demonstrating that the pathways to subjective well-being are culturally divergent, we posit that help-seeking tendencies may be detrimental to subjective well-being for members in interdependence-preferring countries where norms for preserving relational harmony and face concerns are prevalent. This study tested the moderating role of country in the relationship between help-seeking tendencies and subjective well-being using data from 5,068 American and Japanese participants. Results revealed that although help-seeking tendencies were associated with greater life satisfaction, higher positive affect, and lower negative affect among Americans, help-seeking tendencies were associated with poorer life satisfaction and lower positive affect among Japanese. We discuss the importance of adopting culturally sensitive perspectives when examining antecedents of subjective well-being.

Social relationship quality, depression and inflammation: A cross-cultural longitudinal study in the United States and Tokyo, Japan

BACKGROUND

Depression is an illness with biological, psychological, and social underpinnings, which may include the interplay of inflammation, psychological traits, stress, social relationships, and cultural background.

AIMS

This work examines the prospective associations between social relationship quality and depressive symptoms, and between social relationship quality and inflammatory outcomes in two distinct cultures.

METHODS

Data were obtained from two longitudinal, prospective cohort studies: Midlife in the United States (MIDUS), and Midlife Development in Japan (MIDJA) between 2004 and 2010. One thousand three hundred and twenty-seven community-based adults were included in analyses, 1,054 from the United States and 273 from Tokyo, Japan. Depressive symptoms (measured by the CES-D Depression Scale) and inflammation (measured by blood sample concentrations of the inflammatory biomarkers interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein) were the outcomes. Social relationship quality was the predictor. Culture, trait independence and interdependence, and psychosocial stressors were examined as moderators of the link between social relationship quality and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Higher social relationship quality was associated with lower depressive symptoms in the United States (β = -6.15, p < .001), but not in Japan (β = -1.25, p = .390). Social relationship quality had no association with inflammation. Psychosocial stressors moderated the link between social relationship quality and depressive symptoms in both the United States (β = -0.39, p = .001) and Tokyo (β = -0.55, p = .001), such that social relationship quality acted as a buffer against depressive symptoms as psychosocial stress increased.

CONCLUSION

Improving the perceived quality of social relationships appears to be a stronger target for depression interventions in the United States than in Tokyo, Japan.

How Labor Values Affect Mental Health: An Analysis From the Perspective of Social Support

To explore the positive and negative effects of labor values on mental health from the aspects of life satisfaction and psychological distress, and further verify the mediating role of social support. A total of 2,691 primary and secondary school students were surveyed by Labor Values Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Social Support, General Health Questionnaire and Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the results of which showed that as: (1) labor values can positively predict life satisfaction, while they are negatively correlated with psychological distress; (2) social support can play a mediating role between labor values and life satisfaction; and (3) social support can also play a mediating role in the relationship between labor values and psychological distress. This study revealed that the specific path and mechanism of labor values on mental health. This provided a reference for families and schools to further implement the education of labor values on primary and secondary school students and helped to promote the social construction of an education system that aimed at cultivating individual all-round development.

Health-Related Quality of Life and Social Support of Elderly Lung and Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Introduction

Increasing life expectancy has led to a higher incidence of cancer in the elderly, thus making them vulnerable and worsening their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and their need for support.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the HRQoL and social support in elderly Greek lung and gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 104 elderly cancer patients, who were receiving chemotherapy in the outpatient department and inpatient ward of a General Hospital in Athens. The data were collected using purposive sampling between December 2019 and May 2020, and included demographic and clinical characteristics, the HRQoL questionnaire, Short Form 36 (SF36), and the Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ-2000).

Results

The participants' median age was 72 years; the majority were male (62.5%) and had lung cancer (57.7%). The SF36 data revealed a relatively moderate (42.7-62.61) HRQoL in most subscales. The "Pain" subscale recorded the highest score (75.0), and the "social function" subscale the lowest (42.79). The PQR-2000 indicated a satisfactory level of social support (81.65), with values ranging between 48 and 105; married patients with higher education scored more highly (p < .05). Patients aged 65-75 years reported better HRQoL and greater social support than older patients. In addition, patients with their own family and a relatively high income reported better HRQoL and social support compared to single individuals, with low income, who were cared for by their children. Positive and statistically significant (p < .05) correlations were found between the SF36 subscales of role functioning/physical, vitality, general health, emotional well-being and the PRQ-2000.

Conclusion

The HRQoL and social support of elderly cancer patients positively affect the course of their health. Healthcare systems and social services should address the multiplying needs of these patients with targeted interventions to support their well-being.

Cultural differences in social support seeking: The mediating role of empathic concern

Prior research has found that East Asians are less willing than Westerners to seek social support in times of need. What factors account for this cultural difference? Whereas previous research has examined the mediating effect of relational concern, we predicted that empathic concern, which refers to feeling sympathy and concern for people in need and varies by individuals from different cultures, would promote support seeking. We tested the prediction in two studies. In Study 1, European Canadians reported higher empathic concern and a higher frequency of support seeking, compared to the Japanese participants. As predicted, cultural differences in social support seeking were influenced by empathic concern. In Study 2, both empathic concern and relational concern mediated cultural differences in support seeking. Japanese with lower empathic concern but higher relational concern were more reluctant than European Americans to seek social support during stressful times. Finally, loneliness, which was more prevalent among the Japanese than among the European Americans, was partially explained by social support seeking.

Communication, the Heart of a Relationship: Examining Capitalization, Accommodation, and Self-Construal on Relationship Satisfaction

The study of processes that enrich positive relationships has been an under-researched area within positive psychology practice. The way an individual responds during couple conflicts (accommodation response) and toward the disclosure of good news of a partner (capitalization response) has been linked to relationship quality. Although the accommodation and capitalization communication processes are part and parcel of our everyday lives, the two processes have been examined separately and dominated by the Western perspectives in past research. Prior work has suggested that Western and Asian cultures differ in expressing and perceiving beneficial communication behaviors. Yet, it is still unclear which accommodation and capitalization responses matter the most from an Asian lens. To date, there is no research examining these interconnected variables simultaneously in Asia, specifically in Malaysia. In this study, two forms of communication processes, namely, (1) accommodation and (2) capitalization, were explored concurrently to disentangle the unique associations and influence on relationship satisfaction. This study also sought to understand the moderating effects of culture in terms of interdependent self-construal on the link between these two communication processes and relationship satisfaction. Responses of 139 Malaysians in dating relationships between the age of 18 and 30 years (M_age = 23.15) were collected through online surveys. An active and constructive reaction was captured as the most favorable response through both the capitalization and accommodation processes. Prominently, an active-constructive capitalization response bore the strongest influence on relationship satisfaction above and beyond other responses. A passive and constructive response was revealed only fruitful for disclosures of positive news and not during conflicts. Conversely, in the destructive paradigm, passive-destructive responses were the most detrimental factor in relationships compared to other destructive responses. The results also uncovered that interdependent self-construal did not moderate the two forms of communication processes. However, the findings discovered unexpected individual and cultural variations. This pioneering study is a noteworthy addition to the positive psychology literature from an Asian standpoint. It highlights the significance of not only protecting relationships through better conflict management but also enriching relationships by capitalizing on the positive aspects across the lives of the couple, ultimately providing a greater holistic insight into cultivating flourishing lives.

Hospital discharge location and socioeconomic deprivation as risk factors for alcohol dependence relapses: A cohort study

BACKGROUND

There is evidence that social support can improve the ability of an individual with alcohol use disorder to manage relapses. However, the role of families and friends in this context is debated as family history and co-drinking are also risk factors for initiating alcohol drinking or maintaining addictive behaviours.

AIM

To quantitatively evaluate whether the hospital discharge location (in company or alone) after an alcohol dependence hospitalisation can influence the risk of relapses and whether this impact is modified by socioeconomic deprivation.

METHODS

A cohort of 1141 patients hospitalised for the first time for alcohol dependence in Scotland between 2010 and 2019 was derived from a routine healthcare database. Relapses were defined as recurrent alcohol-related hospitalisation. Survival analysis was undertaken to compare the risk of relapse for different discharge locations and socioeconomic deprivation groups.

RESULTS

On average, living in company of others was associated with a significant lower risk of relapses compared to living alone (HR: 0.84 95%CI: 0.71-0.99). This association differed across socioeconomic groups, being greater for those living in areas with the highest level of socioeconomic deprivation (HR: 0.76 95%CI: 0.57-1.01) and lower elsewhere. While this effect was not statistically significant (p = 0.056), its extent varied based on how we defined our cohort: it was not detectable when we expanded the cohort to all individuals with alcohol use disorders.

CONCLUSION

Home settings and the environment where individuals reside should be considered as significant psychosocial factors when clinicians design therapies and hospital discharge planning for patients with alcohol dependence.

Here for You: A Review of Social Support Research in Young Adults With Diabetes

Living with and managing diabetes is challenging during young adulthood, and social support may help relieve or minimize the burdens young adults with diabetes experience. This article reviews the types and sources of support young adults with diabetes receive and their associations with behavioral, psychosocial, and glycemic outcomes. Intervention research integrating social support and future directions for care are discussed.

Cultural differences in stress and affection following social support receipt

Culturally appropriate social support predicts better psychological outcomes. Motivation for providing social support may vary cross-culturally, with more independent cultures valuing self-esteem and more interdependent cultures valuing closeness. Participants in the U.S. (N = 85) and Singapore (N = 78) reported on emotions and social support receipt using the Day Reconstruction Method. We examined cultural differences in stress and affection, and tested country as a moderator of the associations between both social support receipt and social support motivation, and next-episode emotions. Multilevel modeling analyses showed that not only did the emotional correlates of social support receipt vary by country, but that recipient perceptions of esteem-building and closeness-fostering SS also differentially correlated with subsequent emotion. For example, esteem-building SS predicted greater next-episode stress for Singaporean participants, but less stress in the U.S. Esteem-building SS predicted more next-episode affection only in the U.S. Culturally appropriate social support predicts positive psychological outcomes. This research highlights the importance of considering culture when examining the dynamic emotional correlates of social support receipt.

Exploring the Relationship Between Social Ties and Resilience From Evolutionary Framework

This conceptual paper examines the necessity and importance of social bonds and networks in building resilience to fight the COVID-19. Resilience is a quality that energizes an individual’s actions and acts as a buffer to stressful events. The current article is intended to explore the evolutionary programmed behavior of the human mind to make social ties and structure. Humans have a strong need to connect and relate with other individuals by developing cooperation and perspective-taking. The ability to make social connections, group living, and sharing resources had a selective advantage in coping with physical and psychological stress. Social bonds provide resilience to people’s approach while making adjustments and adapting to situations, thus presents fitness benefits at both group and individual levels. An attempt has also been made to address how social isolation as a strategy to contain the infection adversely influence body homeostasis. Finally, this article recommends health practitioners, clinicians, and researchers to encourage research on the impact of social isolation/social interaction on mental and physical health indicators.

Exploring Indigenous Ways of Coping After a Wildfire Disaster in Northern Alberta, Canada

In May 2016, a wildfire devastated a northern region of Alberta, Canada, resulting in negative consequences on physical and mental stress, social relationships, and overall resilience among Indigenous residents. Research on coping and managing stress following a disaster has failed to incorporate unique characteristics from Indigenous perspectives. Sharing circles were held in urban and rural community settings to capture: (a) Indigenous perspectives of coping, (b) individual and collective strengths that helped Indigenous residents and communities to cope during and after the wildfire, and (c) intergenerational experiences of coping from stress among Indigenous residents. Indigenous residents' experience with coping from the wildfire was shaped by: (a) heightened physical and emotional stress, (b) existing structural inequities, and (c) strong community cohesion and connection to culture. An unexpected outcome of this research was the therapeutic value of the sharing circles for participants to share their experience.

What Type of Social Support Is Important for Student Resilience During COVID-19? A Latent Profile Analysis

In the face of the sudden outbreak of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), some students showed resilience in coping with difficulties while some did not. While different types of students showed different levels of resilience, are there significant characteristics among students with similar levels of resilience? In this study, 3,454 students (aged 15–25 years) were surveyed to understand students' perceived social support-coping modes while investigating the demographic characteristics and mental health status of subclasses of different modes. We found that (1) in the two subgroups of students with extremely low and low levels of perceived social support, the source of students' perceived social support did not have a clear orientation; in the two subgroups with moderate and high levels of perceived social support, the most perceived emotional support was from family and friends, while the least perceived support was companionship from teachers, classmates, and relatives, and problems related to the dependability of friends and communication with family. (2) The degree of social support perceived by students is directly proportional to the coping tendency, i.e., as the degree of perceived social support increases, the proportion of students adopting active coping strategies increases while that of students adopting negative coping strategies decreases; thus, we concluded that high levels of emotional support from family and friends can increase students' tendency of adopting positive strategies to cope with difficulties, while problems related to the dependability of friends and communication with family decrease students' tendency of adopting positive coping strategies. (3) Gender had a significant impact on the extremely low and low levels of perceived social support-negative coping tendencies; these subgroups accounted for 34.6% of the total students. Gender showed no significant influence on other subgroups, a school type had no impact on the distribution of the subgroups. (4) The higher the degree of perceived social support, the lower is the degree of students' general anxiety, and the lower is the degree of impact by the COVID-19 pandemic. The subdivision of student groups allows us to design more targeted support programmes for students with different psychological characteristics to help them alleviate stress during the COVID-19 epidemic.

"Live together, die alone": The effect of re-socialization on behavioural performance and social-affective brain-related proteins after a long-term chronic social isolation stress

Loneliness affects group-living mammals triggering a cascade of stress-dependent physiological disorders. Indeed, social isolation stress is a major risk factor for several neuropsychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression. Furthermore, social isolation has a negative impact on health and fitness. However, the neurobiological consequences of long-term chronic social isolation stress (LTCSIS) manifested during the adulthood of affected individuals are not fully understood. Our study assessed the impact of LTCSIS and social buffering (re-socialization) on the behavioural performance and social-affective brain-related proteins in diurnal, social, and long-lived Octodon degus (degus). Thereby, anxiety-like and social behaviour, and social recognition memory were assessed in male and female animals subjected to a variety of stress-inducing treatments applied from post-natal and post-weaning until their adulthood. Additionally, we evaluated the relationship among LTCSIS, Oxytocin levels (OXT), and OXT-Ca2+-signalling proteins in the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and the prefrontal cortex. Our findings suggest that LTCSIS induces anxiety like-behaviour and impairs social novelty preference whereas sociability is unaffected. On the other hand, re-socialization can revert both isolation-induced anxiety and social memory impairment. However, OXT and its signalling remained reduced in the abovementioned brain areas, suggesting that the observed changes in OXT-Ca2+ pathway proteins were permanent in male and female degus. Based on these findings, we conclude degus experience social stress differently, suggesting the existence of sex-related mechanisms to cope with specific adaptive challenges.

The Influence of Culture, Social, and Religious Support on Well-Being in Breast Cancer Survivorship

Objective

Latina and African American breast cancer survivors (BCS) are affected by health disparities that have negatively impacted their health outcomes and quality of life more than other BCS. Examining the relationships among social support, culture, and well-being in underserved groups may help clarify critical factors that influence health disparities in cancer survivors.

Methodology

Ethnic salience (impact of ethnicity on identity), religious support, social support, and well-being were examined in African American and Latina breast cancer survivors using archival data. Participants included 320 breast cancer survivors (28% African American and 72% Latina) ranging from 26-89 years old and one to five years post breast cancer diagnosis.

Results

Ethnic salience was positively associated with well-being (p < .001). African American breast cancer survivors endorsed greater well-being, social support, religious support, and ethnic salience than Latinas (ps < .05). Religious support was associated with well-being even after controlling for the effects of general social support [ΔR² = .02, p = .005; F(5, 298) = 23.67].

Conclusion

Ethnic salience and religious support are important factors in understanding health disparities and should inform survivorship care plans for underserved populations.

Posttraumatic Growth and Depreciation from University Students' Perspectives

Objective: This study investigated whether a sample of Iranian university students considered posttraumatic depreciation (PTD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) as negative or positive. Also, possible gender and religiosity differences in understanding of changes in PTD and PTG were evaluated.

Method: The present cross-sectional study was conducted during 2019-2020. The target sample Consisted of 298 students (mean age = 23.79) from 3 Universities in Esfahan and Tehran (Iran), recruited by convenience sampling. The sample answered to the scales, including Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and Posttraumatic Depreciation Inventory; and Iranian version of The Clark and Stark Religious questionnaire.

Results: Despite the overall support for the PTG and PTD constructs, the present study showed that there are cross-cultural differences that can affect people's perception of item evaluation positively or negatively. In this study, almost all items that were evaluated differently with operationally defined PTG and PTD belonged to “Relating to Others” factor. The result also displayed gender and religiosity differences in perceptions of growth and depreciation.

Conclusion: These results suggest that it is necessary to identify the concept of PTG and PTD in each culture and the individual differences that may affect the perception of PTG and PDT be considered.

Testing of a Dual Process Model to Resolve the Socioeconomic Health Disparities: A Tale of Two Asian Countries

A wealth of past studies documented that individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are more susceptible to both acute and chronic life stress than those of higher SES, but some recent evidence documents that not all individuals from the lower SES group experience immense stress. The present study was grounded in theories of coping and psychological adjustment, and a dual process model was formulated to address some resolved issues regarding socioeconomic disparities in health. For a robust test of the proposed dual process model, data were collected from two Asian countries—Hong Kong and Indonesia—with different socioeconomic heritage and conditions. Consistent with the predictions of our model, the present findings revealed that coping flexibility was a psychological mechanism underlying the positive association between social capital and health for the lower SES group, whereas active coping was a psychological mechanism underlying this positive association for the higher SES group. These patterns of results were largely replicable in both Asian samples, providing robust empirical support for the proposed dual process model.