The Dimensionality of the Brief COPE Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Exploring student teachers' latent coping profiles and their relations to perceived stress and stressors

As coping profiles can offer concrete intervention opportunities, the goal of the present study is to explore latent coping profiles in a sample of 316 student teachers at a German university, using the Brief COPE inventory (Carver, 1997). Furthermore, we aim to test the extent to which students with specific coping profiles differ in the levels of stress (PSS; Schneider et al., 2020) and stressors they perceive. Latent profile analysis (LPA) reveals that a six-profile solution shows the optimal fit, with high entropy. The six profiles include two more support-seeking coping profiles (networking and disengaged copers), withdrawn, cognitive restructuring, avoidant and repertoire-oriented copers. Both more support-seeking coping profiles used in particular strategies concerning seeking social and emotional support, and are associated with less stress. Avoidant and withdrawn copers show unfavourable perceptions of stress levels and stressors. Thus, programs to promote social-emotional support should be implemented in teacher training courses.

Overcoming times of crisis: unveiling coping strategies and mental health in a transnational general population sample during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unparalleled impact, precipitating not only direct threats to physical health but also widespread economic and psychological challenges. This study aims to explore the dynamics of coping behaviour and psychological distress (PD) across different phases of the pandemic within an adult general population sample, spanning Austria and Italy.

METHODS

An online questionnaire-based panel study was conducted between 2020 and 2023 including three measurements. We collected data on sociodemographic variables, coping responses (Brief COPE), and PD (Brief-Symptom-Checklist). Statistical analyses were conducted within a linear-mixed-model framework. Multiple imputation and sensitivity analysis were applied to validate the results obtained by complete case analysis.

RESULTS

The study follows 824 participants and reveals a marginal decrease in overall PD from the first to the second follow-up, particularly in clinically relevant phobic anxiety (35.6% and 34.5% to 25.4%). Most coping behaviours exhibited stable mean-levels with intra-individual variability across the study period. Maladaptive coping strategies were consistently linked to increased PD, whereas adaptive strategies were associated with decreased PD.

CONCLUSION

Our findings underscore the complex nature of coping behaviours and PD during and after the pandemic, suggesting that while mean-levels of PD and coping responses remained relatively stable, most coping strategies were subject to intra-individual change. Maladaptive strategies were associated with increased PD, pinpointing to the need for interventions that establish the foundation for adaptive coping mechanisms and promote their application. Further research should explore the reciprocal influences of mental health on coping behaviour, incorporating interventional designs to unravel the nuances of these relationships.

Support- and meaning-focused coping as key factors for maintaining adult quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, questions about both consequences and helpful strategies to maintain quality of life (QoL) have become increasingly important. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of coping factors during the COVID-19 pandemic, their associations with QoL and the moderating role of certain sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods

Analyses were based on cross-sectional self-reports from German adult participants (N = 2,137, 18-84 years, 52.1% female) of the CORONA HEALTH APP Study from July 2020 to July 2021. Multivariate regression analyses were used to predict (a) coping factors assessed with the Brief COPE and (b) QoL assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF while taking measurement time, central sociodemographic, and health characteristics into account.

Results

During the COVID-19 pandemic, German adults mostly pursued problem- and meaning-focused coping factors and showed a relatively good QoL [Mean values (M) from 57.2 to 73.6, standard deviations (SD) = 16.3-22.6], except for the social domain (M = 57.2, SD = 22.6), and with a decreasing trend over time (β from -0.06 to -0.11, ps < 0.01). Whereas, escape-avoidance coping was negatively related to all QoL domains (β = -0.35, p < 0.001 for psychological, β = -0.22, p < 0.001 for physical, β = -0.13, p = 0.045 for social, β = -0.49, p < 0.001 for environmental QoL), support- and meaning-focused coping showed positive associations with various QoL domains (β from 0.19 to 0.45, ps < 0.01). The results also suggested differences in the pursuit of coping factors as well as in the strength of associations with QoL by sociodemographic characteristics. Escape-avoidance-focused coping was negatively associated with QoL levels in older and less educated adults (simple slopes differed at ps < 0.001), in particular.

Conclusions

The results demonstrated what types of coping may be helpful to avoid QoL deterioration (i.e., support- and meaning-focused coping) and provide implications for future universal or targeted health promotion (i.e., older or less educated adults who lack social or instrumental support) and preparedness in the face of unknown challenging societal situations similar to that of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional trends of enhanced use of escape-avoidance-focused coping and QoL deterioration point toward a need for increased attention from public health and policy.

Coping styles mediate the relation between mindset and academic resilience in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted adolescent mental health on a global scale. However, many students were resilient during this crisis, despite exposure to COVID-related stressors. We aimed to study the protective effects of growth mindset on school-related resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mediating effects of coping styles. The two-year follow-up of an ongoing Randomized Controlled Trial, involving a growth mindset and control intervention, took place during the pandemic. We measured growth mindset, school burnout symptoms, COVID-19-specific stressor exposure, coping styles, and calculated a resilience score (corrected for pre-pandemic school burnout symptoms). Mediation analyses were performed in the total sample (N = 261), and exploratory in the intervention subsamples, to test whether the associations between mindset and resilience were mediated by coping styles. Growth-mindset students were more resilient during the pandemic and used less maladaptive and more adaptive (acceptance) coping styles. Coping mediated the relation between mindset and resilience in the total sample (both coping styles), and growth mindset intervention subsample (maladaptive coping). We found unique evidence for the beneficial effects of growth mindset on school-related resilience during the pandemic, and the mediating effect of coping styles as explanatory mechanism. This work contributes to a growing literature that shows positive effects of growth mindset on mental health.

Psychological Resilience and Coping Strategies with Anxiety among Malaysian Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) swept the world by storm and caused a myriad of devastating consequences, particularly disruptions in medical education. This study aims to examine the association between sociodemographic factors, psychological factors, coping strategies and anxiety among medical students, as well as to identify the predictors of anxiety among them. A cross-sectional study design was used. Self-rated Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Scale (Brief COPE), and General Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7) were used. A total of 371 respondents from a tertiary education center were recruited. The prevalence of anxiety was 37% which corresponded to 21.6% and 15.4% for moderate and severe anxiety, respectively. Sociodemographic factors such as age group and academic year were significantly associated with anxiety, while those with higher self-esteem (rs = -0.487), self-competence (rs = -0.407), self-liking (rs = -0.499), and self-efficacy (rs = -0.245) had lower anxiety. Inversely, those who adopted emotion-focused (rs = 0.130) and dysfunctional coping styles (rs = 0.559) showed higher anxiety. The main predictors of anxiety were self-liking as a protective factor (aOR = 0.81) and dysfunctional coping as a risk factor (aOR = 1.16). Therefore, resilience building and inculcating positive coping strategies are imperative in equipping our budding healthcare providers to weather through future unforeseeable disasters.

Predictors of Students' Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Impact of Coping Strategies, Sense of Coherence, and Social Support

Young people and women seem to suffer more from social restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic than do others. Findings from pre-pandemic surveys identified students as a specific risk group for developing anxiety and depressive symptoms. Recent studies have indicated that students especially denoted a decrease in mental health during the pandemic. In a sample of n = 1938 university students (67.6% female), we investigated protective factors that are associated with mental health (defined as the absence of any mental disorder) and more specifically, the absence of major depression during the pandemic despite social restrictions. Investigated protective factors were social support, sense of coherence and situational coping strategies. The results of the multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that male gender, high sense of coherence and specific coping strategies could be identified to be associated with mental health in general and the absence of major depression. Protective coping strategies that were related to mental health in general were lower substance use, lower behavioral disengagement, higher positive reframing and lower self-blame. Protective coping strategies that were associated with the absence of major depression specifically were higher use of instrumental support, lower substance use, lower behavioral disengagement, higher positive reframing, higher emotional support, lower self-blame and lower humor. Social support was related to the absence of major depression, but not to mental health in general. Higher age in university students was associated with better mental health, but not with the absence of major depression specifically. These findings indicate that sense of coherence and situational coping strategies can buffer the adverse effect of social restrictions on mental health and thus, can serve as important resilience factors. Moreover, they highlight the political relevance of promoting specific coping strategies to foster mental health in students encompassing adverse events and social restrictions.

Psychopathological burden and coping strategies among frontline and second-line Italian healthcare workers facing the COVID-19 emergency: Findings from the COMET collaborative network

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to explore the psychopathological burden related to COVID-19 together with coping strategies in healthcare workers, focusing on differences between frontline and second-line workers.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study part of the COvid Mental hEalth Trial (COMET). Participants' socio-demographic and COVID-19-related information was collected through an online survey. Psychiatric symptoms and coping strategies were also investigated. Multivariate analyses, corrected for demographic characteristics, were adopted to assess differences between frontline and second-line workers.

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 20,720 individuals. Healthcare workers (n = 2907) presented with significantly higher risk for mental health disturbances as compared to the rest of the sample (p < 0.001). Healthcare professionals working versus not working on the front line differed in living in severely impacted areas (p < 0.001), precautionary isolation by COVID-19 (p < 0.001), infection by COVID-19 (p < 0.001). Frontline workers also reported significantly increased insomnia (p < 0.001), depression (p = 0.007), anxiety (p < 0.001), obsessive-compulsive symptoms (p < 0.001), non-specific chronic and acute traumatic stress (p < 0.001; p < 0.001), as well as more adaptive coping strategies (p = 0.001).

LIMITATIONS

The survey was conducted between March and June 2020, at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. Accordingly, the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic might have changed over time. The survey design involved online invitation and it was not possible to assess the participation rate.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the largest study addressing the psychopathological burden of Italian healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak and associated coping strategies. Empowering supportive interventions is crucial for the whole healthcare workforce.

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

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to an increase in psychological distress. However, protective factors such as social support, psychological flexibility, and coping mechanisms can help individuals cope with the effects of psychological distress. This study aimed to test a recent hypothesis suggesting that psychological flexibility is not necessarily a coping strategy but a mechanism that can influence the coping strategies an individual employs during stressful events. We tested a mediation model that COVID-19 concerns would contribute to higher levels of perceived social support, which would directly increase psychological flexibility, and finally test if the effect of psychological flexibility on distress was mediated by approach and avoidant coping strategies. The results show that social support facilitates higher levels of psychological flexibility. Further, that psychological flexibility indirectly reduces psychological distress by reducing avoidant coping and increasing approach coping strategies. Within the context of COVID-19, we have shown the importance of social support and psychological flexibility for reducing distress. We have provided further evidence that psychological flexibility might not be a coping mechanism but a strategy that leads individuals to engage in more approach coping strategies and fewer avoidant coping strategies.

Coping in the Emergency Medical Services: Associations With the Personnel's Stress, Self-Efficacy, Job Satisfaction, and Health

Background

Emergency Medical Services personnel (EMSP) are recurrently exposed to chronic and traumatic stressors in their occupation. Effective coping with occupational stressors plays a key role in enabling their health and overall well-being. In this study, we examined the habitual use of coping strategies in EMSP and analyzed associations of coping with the personnel's health and well-being.

Method

A total of N = 106 German Red Cross EMSP participated in a cross-sectional survey involving standardized questionnaires to report habitual use of different coping strategies (using the Brief-COPE), their work-related stress, work-related self-efficacy, job satisfaction, as well as mental and physical stress symptoms.

Results

A confirmatory factor analysis corroborated seven coping factors which have been identified in a previous study among Italian emergency workers. Correlation analyses indicated the coping factor "self-criticism" is associated with more work-related stress, lower job satisfaction, and higher depressive, posttraumatic, and physical stress symptoms. Although commonly viewed as adaptive coping, the coping factors "support/venting", "active coping/planning", "humor", "religion", and "positive reappraisal" were not related to health and well-being in EMSP. Exploratory correlation analyses suggested that only "acceptance" was linked to better well-being and self-efficacy in EMSP.

Conclusion

Our results emphasize the need for in-depth investigation of adaptive coping in EMSP to advance occupation-specific prevention measures.

Help-Seeking as a Maladaptive Coping Style in the Pandemic Scenario: What Worked and What Did Not for Facing This New Stressor

The spread of COVID-19 and its related confinement measures were important stressors for a large part of the global population, with massive effects on both physical and mental health. Assessing how individuals coped with such a stressor and which strategies were effective is one of the main challenges for psychological research. In this study, we aimed to investigate the coping strategies implied during the COVID-19 lockdown and their effectiveness. We recruited 374 Italian participants through convenience sampling during the first pandemic wave (April 2020). We administered to our participants an online battery of questionnaires including the Brief COPE, the use of alternative coping strategies proposed by the WHO to help people facing lockdown stress, and a range of psychological symptoms. An exploratory factor analysis conducted on the subscales of the Brief COPE revealed a three-factor structure. Following the previous literature, we named these factors engagement, disengagement, and help-seeking coping styles. In the pandemic scenario, the engagement and disengagement styles revealed the typical correlation patterns with psychological symptoms (i.e., the engagement was adaptive while the disengagement was maladaptive). Instead, contrary to previous literature, help-seeking was positively related to psychological symptoms, suggesting a mismatch between searching for help and finding it during the lockdown. This result supports the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of coping strategies in the pandemic scenario, to give more compelling and precise advice to the population.