Social participation and posttraumatic growth: The serial mediation of hope, social support, and reappraisal

In light of the global crisis created by the outbreak of the coronavirus and the disease it causes, coronavirus disease 2019, the goal of the study was to detect factors that might enhance people's ability to experience positive psychological change during traumatic events. As such, this study examined the relationship between social participation and posttraumatic growth (PTG) during the coronavirus outbreak and tested the mediating role of hope, social support, and cognitive reappraisal in explaining this relationship. The sample consisted of 275 participants (21.8% male, and 78.2% female, with an average age of 33.42, SD = 13.63), subjected to social-distancing regulations during this period. Results demonstrated a serial mediation model in which social participation predicted PTG directly and indirectly through hope (pathways and agency), social support, and cognitive reappraisal. The importance of social participation in nourishing personal resources and practical implications including the need for prevention programs are discussed.

How Family-Work Conflict Influences Post-traumatic Growth Among Medical Workers: A Moderated Mediation Model

Under the impact of COVID-19, the status and mechanisms of post-traumatic growth among medical workers facing challenges related to family-work conflict are of great concern. In view of the complex relationship between family-work conflict and post-traumatic growth, the present study sought to explore the specific relationships between family-work conflict and post-traumatic growth as well as the specific roles of positive psychological capital, perceived social support, and suppression. We recruited 1,347 participants. The results revealed that positive psychological capital and perceived social support played mediating roles, while suppression strategies moderated the mediating effect. Compared with the low suppression group, the negative impact of family-work conflict on positive psychological capital and perceived social support was reduced in the high suppression group. Thus, a higher level of suppression was more conducive to post-traumatic growth. The current study enriches and expands the findings of previous studies in theory and provides practical ways to promote post-traumatic growth in medical workers.

Defense Styles Mediate the Association Between Empathy and Burnout Among Nurses

Research has extensively identified empathic skills as essential in health trainings, policies, and recommendations. However, there have been conflicting views of the impact of empathy on burnout. Some studies contend that empathy serves a protective role, whereas other studies have shown that burnout leads to a diminished capacity to empathize. To date, studies have not yet explored whether defense styles mediate associations between empathy and burnout. A total of 442 nurses completed questionnaire measures of empathy, burnout, and defense mechanisms as part of a large-scale research study on nurse burnout. Findings reflected very high levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization among the nursing staff. The nurses in this study endorsed a predominantly immature defense style. In addition, immature defense styles mediated the association between empathy and emotional exhaustion and between empathy and depersonalization. The study provides further knowledge about the role of defense styles in nurse burnout and empathy.

The Mediating Roles of Acceptance and Cognitive Reappraisal in the Relation Between Hope and Posttraumatic Growth Among Adolescents After the Ya'an Earthquake

Previous theoretical research has indicated that hope, cognitive reappraisal, and acceptance may contribute to posttraumatic growth (PTG). However, the combined effects of these factors on PTG have not yet been evaluated. Therefore, the current study examined the mediating roles of cognitive reappraisal and acceptance in the relationship between hope and PTG among Chinese adolescents following the Ya'an earthquake. The sample included 397 adolescent survivors, who completed self-report measures 2.5 years after the earthquake. The mediating effects were assessed by constructing a multiple indirect effects model. The findings indicated that traumatic exposure only have predictive value for PTG, but not other variables. Moreover, when we controlled for gender, age, and traumatic exposure, hope had a direct and positive effect on PTG. We found an indirect and positive effect of hope on PTG via cognitive reappraisal and acceptance, as well as via an indirect path from cognitive reappraisal to acceptance. These findings suggest that utilising the mediating roles of cognitive reappraisal and acceptance in the relationship between hope and PTG is crucial in developing methods for fostering PTG.

Emotional Valence, Arousal, and Threat Ratings of 160 Chinese Words among Adolescents

This study was conducted to provide ratings of valence/pleasantness, arousal/excitement, and threat/potential harm for 160 Chinese words. The emotional valence classification (positive, negative, or neutral) of all of the words corresponded to that of the equivalent English language words. More than 90% of the participants, junior high school students aged between 12 and 17 years, understood the words. The participants were from both mainland China and Hong Kong, thus the words can be applied to adolescents familiar with either simplified (e.g. in mainland China) or traditional Chinese (e.g. in Hong Kong) with a junior secondary school education or higher. We also established eight words with negative valence, high threat, and high arousal ratings to facilitate future research, especially on attentional and memory biases among individuals prone to anxiety. Thus, the new emotional word list provides a useful source of information for affective research in the Chinese language.

Hope as a moderator of negative life events and depressive symptoms in a diverse sample

Depression is a significant public health problem for young adults of college age, and negative life events exacerbate risk. Not all individuals who experience negative life events, however, report depressive symptoms, perhaps owing to protective characteristics. We examined one such characteristic, trait hope, a goal-oriented construct, as a potential moderator of the association between negative life events and depressive symptoms in an ethnically diverse sample of 386 college students. In support of our hypotheses, negative life events were significantly associated with greater levels of depressive symptoms, and higher levels of hope attenuated this relationship, such that those with greater hope reported fewer depressive symptoms related to potentially traumatic events. The moderating effect of hope did not differ across ethnic groups. Our findings have implications for managing the sequelae of negative life events, including depression. Cognitive-behavioural interventions tailored to help young adults identify and attain important life goals might help to overcome psychopathology associated with life stress.

Race and ethnic differences in hope and hopelessness as moderators of the association between depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior

OBJECTIVE

The authors examined trait hope and hopelessness as potential moderators of the association between depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior.

PARTICIPANTS

A diverse sample of 372 college students.

METHODS

Depressive symptoms, hopelessness (Beck Hopelessness Scale), trait hope (Trait Hope Scale), and suicidal behaviors were assessed. Trait hope is defined as confidence in the ability to identify and attain goals, whereas hopelessness encompasses future attitudes and motivation loss.

RESULTS

In independent models, low hopelessness buffered the association between depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior for our whole sample, blacks, and whites, whereas trait hope buffered for Hispanics and whites. Examined simultaneously, hope remained a significant moderator only in whites and hopelessness only in blacks. These findings suggest that etiological and outcome correlates of hope and hopelessness may differ by ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings may have implications for development of culturally targeted interventions for college students that strive to simultaneously reduce hopelessness and bolster hopefulness.

School violence, adjustment, and the influence of hope on low-income, African American youth

The current study investigated the prevalence and impact of exposure to school violence using a cross-sectional design with a sample of 132 low-income, African American fifth graders (mean age = 10.20). Additionally, hope was examined in relation to adjustment and as a potential resilience factor in the context of school violence. Students completed self-report measures for exposure to school violence frequencies, self-concept, and hope. Teachers completed a teacher-rated survey assessing levels of problem behaviors, social skills, and academic competence. Results indicated that the majority of youth had been personally victimized or witnessed violence during a 3-month period. Exposure to school violence was positively associated with problem behaviors, and negatively associated with social skills, self-concept, and academic competence; hope was inversely related to externalizing behaviors and positively related to self-concept. Hope buffered the effects of personal victimization and witnessing violence on self-concept. Gender differences were observed for a number of the analyses. The implications of both the prevalence and impact of exposure to school violence, as well as the moderating effects of hope, are discussed.