Predictors of Resourcefulness in African American Women

Exposure to Psychological Intimate Partner Violence: Resilience to Depression is Related to Social Support and Learned Resourcefulness

Psychological violence is the most common form of intimate partner violence (IPV). Psychological IPV places women at significant risk for depressive symptoms. Accordingly, this study examined the moderator role of perceived social support and learned resourcefulness (LR) as personal resources in the relationship between psychological IPV and depression. This cross-sectional study was performed via an online survey platform. A total of 168 Turkish women, with a mean age of 33.8, completed a set of measurement tools. Data were assessed using linear regression and two-way and three-way interactions in moderated multiple regression analyses. The results of the study showed that as expected psychological IPV was directly associated with depression (β = .268, p < .001). To explore the moderator roles, two separate two-way interactions were conducted, and results demonstrated that neither social support nor LR separately moderated the relationship between psychological IPV and depression. However, there was a significant three-way interaction: togetherness of perceived social support with LR moderated the relationship between psychological IPV and depression (β = -.388, p < .05). More specifically, if women exposed to psychological IPV have high perceived social support and high LR, they are less likely to report depressive symptoms. This finding highlights the positive effect of the combination of personal resources on depression linked to psychological IPV's detrimental effects. The findings were discussed in the light of the relevant literature. Interventions focusing on strengthening social support and fostering LR skills may promote the psychological well-being of women exposed to psychological IPV.

The relationship of public and private religiosity to African American women caregivers' use of alcohol for coping with caregiving burden

The number of African American women providing unpaid care to an older person is increasing. Multiple stresses are associated with the caregiving experience. This article examines the relationship of both public and private religiosity to the use of alcohol to cope with these stresses. Data were from the Black Rural and Urban Caregivers Mental Health and Functioning Study. This cross-sectional study included 521 midwestern urban (n = 256) and rural (n = 265) African American women who were caregivers of dependent African Americans age 65 years and older. Results of heiarchical multinomial logistic regression revealed that those who are younger, those living in an urban area, and those with lower levels of religious attendance were more likely to use alcohol to cope with the stresses of caregiving. Helping professionals can use a strengths perspective, which highlights the importance of emphasizing strengths to increase caregivers' personal power, the development of strong coping skills, and the improvement of social support systems to create a positive approach to self-care with a focus on community building.

Stress Experiences and Mental Health of Pregnant Women: The Mediating Role of Social Support

Stress in pregnancy is an exceedingly common issue that impacts the mother's mental health and the health of her baby. Yet, women with a supportive network of friends and family may experience lower stress and improved mental health. Therefore, the aims of this secondary analysis were to (a) examine relationships between stress experiences (i.e. perceived stress, pregnancy-specific stress) and indicators of mental health (i.e. absence of depressive symptoms and resourcefulness), (b) determine the effects of social support on stress experiences and indicators of mental health, and (c) determine if social support mediates the relationship between stress experiences and indicators of mental health. A convenience sample of 82 women in their second and third trimester of pregnancy participated in the parent study. Findings indicate that stress experiences were moderately correlated with indicators of mental health and social support predicted stress experiences and indicators of mental health. All social support mediation models were not significant with the exception of social support mediating the relationship between pregnancy-specific stress and resourcefulness. This was the first study to investigate the mediating role of social support on the relationship between pregnancy-specific stress and resourcefulness. Pregnant women may benefit from social support interventions to meaningfully reduce their stress and promote mental health. Such interventions may be physical activity, group prenatal care, or even peripartum home visits.

Comparing the Effect of a Moderate Physical Activity Intervention on the Mental Health Outcomes of African American and Caucasian Dementia Family Caregivers: A Secondary Data Analysis

Increased attention to the effects of the stressful demands of caregiving on the mental health of dementia caregivers has resulted in the development of numerous interventions. The current study is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial that tested a 12-month moderate physical activity intervention with dementia caregivers. Our secondary data analysis examined racial differences in caregiver mental health outcomes including subjective burden, depressive symptoms, and positive affect, as well as differences in physical activity. A total of 211 community-dwelling dementia family caregivers were randomly assigned to a 12-month Enhanced Physical Activity (treatment) Intervention (EPAI) or a Caregiver Skill Building (control) Intervention (CSBI). Of these, 34 African American and 80 Caucasian caregivers completed the study. At baseline, race was associated with subjective burden and positive affect, but not with depressive symptoms. Post intervention (12 months), there were no racial differences in subjective burden or depressive symptoms. However, race was significantly associated with decreased positive affect (p = 0.003) and decreased total minutes of physical activity (p = 0.012). Findings suggest that the mental health needs of African American caregivers warrant additional exploration, where physical activity may be of benefit. These findings provide a cultural perspective to consider during intervention development for future nurse-driven research.

A Study to Examine the Uses of Personal Strength in Relation to Mental Health Recovery in Adults with Serious Mental Illnesses: A Research Protocol

This study will explore the relationships among strengths self-efficacy, resourcefulness, stigma experience and mental health recovery in community-dwelling adults with serious mental illnesses. Mental health practices have focued on psychopathphysiology. Stigma heavily plagued clients with mental illnesses and is one of the greatest barriers to mental health recovery. Personal strengths like strengths self-efficacy, people’s confidence in using their personal strengths, and resourcefulness, the ability to carry out daily activities, have been linked to positive mental health. However, the linkage between strengths self-efficacy, resourcefulness and mental health recovery remains uncharted. A cross-sectional, descriptive, mixed methods study will be conducted. A funded study by the Sigma Theta Tau, Upsilon Eta Chapter, August 2013, involving a convenience sample of 100 participants is planned. Included are community dwelling adults between 21 to 65 years old having been diagnosed with serious mental illnesses. Clients with current co-occurring substance abuse will be excluded. Participants complete questionnaires and undergo an interview. Correlations among the study variables will be examined. Regression analysis will determine if recovery can be predicted by strengths self-efficacy, resourcefulness and stigma experience. Interview data will be transcribed and analyzed by thematic analysis. This study will look beyond clients’ disability to focus on their recovery and healing capacities such as strengths self-efficacy and resourcefulness. Findings will expand our knowledge about mental health recovery. Knowledge gained from this study may pave the way for future nursing strategies to aid recovery and inform the development of positive, strengths-based interventions.

Longitudinal analysis of resourcefulness, family strain, and depressive symptoms in grandmother caregivers

BACKGROUND

Grandmothers living with grandchildren face stressors that may increase depressive symptoms, but cognitive-behavioral strategies, such as resourcefulness, may reduce the effects of stressors on mental health.

PURPOSE

This analysis examined the contemporaneous and longitudinal relationships among intra-family strain, resourcefulness, and depressive symptoms in 240 grandmothers, classified by caregiving status to grandchildren.

METHODS

Grandmothers raising grandchildren, grandmothers living in multigenerational homes, and non-caregivers to grandchildren reported on intra-family strain, resourcefulness, and depressive symptoms using mailed questionnaires at three time points over 5 years. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the mediating effects of resourcefulness and the relationships between variables.

DISCUSSION

Grandmother caregiver status had significant effects on depressive symptoms and intra-family strain but not on resourcefulness. At all waves, higher resourcefulness was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, which reduced appraisals of intra-family strain.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions focused on strengthening resourcefulness could reduce depressive symptoms over time.

The mediating role of social support, cognitive appraisal, and quality health care in black mothers' stress-resilience process following loss to gun violence

Although much attention has been granted to the perpetrators and victims of gun violence, limitations exist in our understanding of the psychological well-being of parents grieving children lost to gun violence. The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of social support, cognitive appraisal, and quality health care on the relationship between traumatic stress and resilience among Black mothers bereaving children to gun violence. A cross-sectional design and network sampling method were used to recruit 48 Black mothers living in a large Canadian city. Participants completed a survey either by phone or in person. Social support and positive appraisal were found to be protective factors of resilience for study participants. The traumatic stress experienced by the sample decreased with increased social support (beta = -.291, p = .045), leading to an increase of their resilience (beta = .297, p = .032). With positive appraisal of the loss, the stress levels of study participants decreased (beta = -.334, p = .023), leading to increased resilience (beta = .441, p = .003). Quality health care showed a significant positive relationship with the resilience of the women (beta = .313, p = .023) but did not mediate the relationship between their stress and resilience. For Black mothers who experience loss of a child to gun violence, policy and social change efforts should focus on strengthening their access to formal and informal supports and improving their abilities to find meaning in their loss.

Measuring use of resourcefulness skills: psychometric testing of a new scale

Highly resourceful individuals have been found better able to meet life's challenges and to experience more positive health outcomes. Although psychometrically sound measures of resourcefulness exist and resourcefulness training trials show that the intervention increases adaptive functioning and enhances quality of life, there is no direct measure of intervention fidelity. This study examined the reliability and validity of an 8-item Resourcefulness Skills Scale (RSS), which measures the frequency with which intervention recipients use specific resourcefulness skills. The RSS was found to have acceptable internal consistency (α = .78), criterion-related validity (r's = .50 and .52 with other resourcefulness scales), and construct validity (r's =.38 and .53 with theoretically-related constructs). Factor analysis revealed two factors reflecting personal and social resourcefulness. Because the RSS queries respondents on their use of skills taught during resourcefulness training, it has potential usefulness as a measure for evaluating how well the training is translated into use of the skills in daily life.

Psychometric assessment of the depressive cognition scale in women family members of adults with serious mental illness

Family members of persons with serious mental illness (SMI) are vulnerable to depression, and early identification of cognitive depressive symptoms is important to prevent it. The Depressive Cognition Scale (DCS) may be beneficial for early detection, but the scale's psychometrics have not been tested in family members of persons with SMI. In this study, 60 women relatives of adults with SMI completed the eight-item DCS and measures of caregiver burden, resourcefulness, sense of coherence, and quality of life. A Cronbach's alpha of .87 indicated internal consistency. Construct validity was supported by correlations with caregiver burden (.40), resourcefulness (-.65), sense of coherence (-.77), and quality of life (-.70). Confirmatory factor analysis produced a single factor with 48% of the variance explained and factor loadings >.45 for all items. The findings suggest the DCS is useful for early detection of depression in women relatives of adults with SMI.

Effects on resilience of women family caregivers of adults with serious mental illness: the role of positive cognitions

This study examined the effects of risk and protective factors on resilience in 60 women family members of adults with serious mental illness. Both the risk factors constituting caregiver burden (strain, stigma, client dependence, and family disruption) and protective factors, including eight positive cognitions were found to predict two indicators of resilience: resourcefulness and sense of coherence. The effects of caregiver burden on resourcefulness and sense of coherence were mediated by positive cognitions, lending support to resilience theory and suggesting the need to develop interventions to encourage positive thinking among women caregivers of adults with mental illness.

Relationships among perceived burden, depressive cognitions, resourcefulness, and quality of life in female relatives of seriously mentally ill adults

Providing care and support to a seriously mentally ill (SMI) family member can have deleterious effects on one's health and quality of life. This study explored relationships among perceived burden, depressive cognitions, resourcefulness, and quality of life in 60 African-American and Caucasian women family members of SMI adults. Caucasians reported greater burden than African-Americans; the groups were similar in depressive cognitions, resourcefulness, and quality of life. In Caucasians and African-Americans, burden correlated with depressive cognitions and both correlated with poorer mental health. In African-Americans, burden also correlated with lower personal resourcefulness and both correlated with poorer mental health. The findings suggest a mediating role by depressive cognitions for both groups and by resourcefulness in African-Americans. Thus, both groups of women may benefit from positive thinking while African-Americans also may benefit from learning personal resourcefulness skills.

Factors associated with perceived burden, resourcefulness, and quality of life in female family members of adults with serious mental illness

BACKGROUND

Each year, 54 million American adults are affected by serious mental illness. Most of these persons depend on female family members for support or assistance, and unless these women are resourceful, they may experience considerable burden, stigma by association, depressive thoughts, and poor quality of life.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we examined the associations between characteristics of female family members (age, race, education), adults with serious mental illness (age, diagnosis), and the family situation (relationship, living arrangements, care provided) and caregivers' burden, stigma, depressive cognitions, resourcefulness, and quality of life.

STUDY DESIGN

In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of 60 female relatives of adults with serious mental illness provided demographic information and completed established measures of the study variables.

RESULTS

We discuss associations between contextual variables and process regulators, resourcefulness, and quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

The results highlight the importance of targeting interventions for caregivers of adults with serious mental illness who are parents, caregivers of younger seriously mentally ill persons in earlier stages of diagnosis, and caregivers of persons who have bipolar disorder. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc, 2008; 14(2), 125-135. DOI: 10.1177/1078390308315612.