Family Unpredictability and Sense of Coherence: Relationships With Anxiety and Depression in Two Samples

Sense of coherence (SOC) refers to beliefs about how comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful one's life is. We investigated how SOC relates to family of origin unpredictability and psychological functioning in two samples. College students (N=172, 78% female; M=18.9 years old; 78% white/Caucasian) who recalled more family unpredictability while growing up also reported weaker SOC beliefs and poorer mental health. Furthermore, SOC mediated the negative impact of family unpredictability on anxiety but not on depression. Among adults (N=220, 47% female, 50% male, 3% gender nonconforming; M=40.2 years old; 60% Caucasian), correlations among family chaos, SOC, and psychological functioning were even stronger, overall. One mediation was detected: the relationship between family unpredictability and anxiety was partially explained by adults' perceptions regarding the manageability of their life. This is the first study to explore the relationships among SOC, family chaos, and psychological functioning.

Global Self-Esteem and Stress Intensity in a Group of Polish Nurses-A Mediatory Role of a Sense of Coherence

(1) Owing to their resistance resources, nurses can reduce the effects of stress, increase their commitment to work and improve their functioning in the face of challenges in the workplace. The aim of this study was to determine the mediatory role of a general sense of coherence and a sense of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness correlated with global self-esteem and the perceived stress intensity in a group of Polish nurses aged 45–55 years. (2) The research using the diagnostic survey method was conducted on a group of 176 nurses (M = 49.1; SD = 3.1) working in seven hospitals located in Olsztyn (Poland). The following were used for data collection: Perceived Stress Scale - PSS-10, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale and Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC-29) Questionnaire. (3) According to 21.02% of the nurses, their stress level at the workplace was low, 44.89% reported it was medium and 34.09% reported it was high. The self-esteem of nearly half of the nurses included in the study (48.30%) was at a medium level, 31.82% felt it was high and 19.89% felt it was low. The mediation analysis showed that a general sense of coherence and a sense of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness have a mediator status in a correlation between global self-esteem and stress intensity. However, their mediatory role is partial. It is desirable for safe work environment promotion programmes to reinforce nurses’ personal resources, which can be helpful in coping with stressors.

A high burden of adverse life events and poor coping mechanisms experienced by urban-dwelling black South Africans

Aim

In view of the current context of poverty and socio-economic inequalities and the high and rising burdens of HIV infection and non-communicable diseases in South Africa, this study aims to describe the distribution of adverse life events (ALEs) by age and gender, and examine the socio-demographic characteristics, psychosocial coping mechanisms, risky lifestyle behaviours and family burden of HIV-related ill-health associated with ALEs in 25-74-year-old black residents of Cape Town.

Materials and methods

In a random cross-sectional sample, 12 ALEs, tobacco and alcohol use, sense of coherence (SOC), locus of control (LOC) and impact of HIV in the family were determined by administered questionnaires. Data analyses included descriptive statistics adjusted for the realised sample. Multivariable linear regression models assessed the independent associations of increasing number of ALEs.

Results

Among 1099 participants, mean lifetime score of ALE categories examined was 6.1 ±2.1 (range 0–12) with men reporting significantly higher number of events compared with women (p<0.001). The most frequent ALE was the death of a loved one (88.5%) followed by a major financial crisis (81.2%) with no trend across gender or age group. In the multivariable linear regression model, increasing ALEs were significantly associated with male gender, unemployment, having spent >50% of life in urban areas, >7 years of education, problematic alcohol use and poorer psychosocial coping mechanisms defined by low SOC and LOC. All four variables pertaining to HIV-related burden of ill-health in the family were significantly associated with increasing ALEs.

Conclusions

Considering that lower SOC and LOC and problem drinking were significantly linked to ALEs, policymakers need to formulate strategies that improve coping mechanisms and promote problem-solving behaviours, target the high burden of alcohol misuse and address unemployment.

Sense of Coherence in Nurses: A Systematic Review

Background: Nurses experience high levels of distress due to the nature of their work and workplaces; Antonovsky’s salutogenic theory shows that individual and work-related factors can influence human health. The aim of this paper is to analyze the possible correlations with different work-related and individual variables, which influence or are influenced by Sense of Coherence (SOC) and verify the possible use of SOC scales to prevent negative health determinants in workplaces. Methods: Electronic databases were searched with selected studies compared for sample, sample size, study design and basic results. Cross-sectional studies were reviewed for correlations between individual physical and mental health, distress, burnout, job satisfaction and SOC, with intervention studies used to assess the possible impact of training on nurses’ SOC. Results: The review found several correlations between SOC and different work-related variables; but also with several individual characteristics. Conclusion: The review found that SOC was predictor of depressive state, burnout, job dissatisfaction among female nurses; therefore, SOC could be a health promoting resource.

Sense of Coherence as a Determinant of Psychological Well-Being Across Professional Groups of Aid Workers Exposed to War Trauma

The present study aims to test whether sense of coherence (SOC) acts as a determinant of positive psychological functioning in aid workers directly exposed to warfare. Specifically, we performed multiple regression analyses to compare different groups of aid workers in terms of the effects of SOC and cumulative trauma on their psychological distress. Palestinian helpers, both professional and non-professional ( N = 159) completed three self-reported measures: the General Health questionnaire, Sense of Coherence Scale, and Impact of Events Scale. The findings bear out the predictive power of SOC and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in relation to mental health across different professional groups. In particular, volunteers without a specific professional profile, psychiatrists, medical doctors, and less markedly counselors seemed to protect their mental health through a SOC. Clinical implications and recommendations for training and supervision are discussed.

Sense of Coherence and Parenting Representation among Parents of Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

INTRODUCTION

This study examines the association between parental sense of coherence (SOC) and maternal and paternal representations of parents of adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (IDDM).

METHOD

Seventy five mothers and fathers of adolescents (age 13-18) diagnosed with IDDM, were recruited. Data were gathered from a demographic and SOC questionnaires, and the Parenting Representations Interview (PRI-A).

RESULTS

A significant association was found between mothers' and fathers' SOC and a more balanced description of parenting, and positive correlations between mothers' and fathers' SOC and their representations of the self as parent, representations of the adolescent, and relationships representations. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between parents' SOC and less differentiated relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

SOC may promote well-being in spite of exposure to challenging circumstances as parenting an adolescent with IDDM. It appears that fathers and mothers need to and can be addressed as significant caregivers in any treatment or clinical intervention, as they have a relative involvement in taking care of children and therefore sharing the caregiving responsibilities and functioning as co-primary caregivers.