Measuring Resilience in Women with Endometriosis

Self-compassion and health-related quality of life in individuals with endometriosis

OBJECTIVE

International research highlights the detrimental impact of endometriosis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), yet few studies have examined positive resources such as self-compassion and resilience as correlates. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the relationship between self-compassion and HRQoL in individuals with endometriosis in Aotearoa New Zealand. Resilience and perceived symptom severity were examined as potential mediators.

METHODS AND MEASURES

Six hundred and three individuals with endometriosis completed an online questionnaire measuring demographic and endometriosis-related information, endometriosis symptoms (number and severity), HRQoL, self-compassion and resilience.

RESULTS

In line with international research, the current sample reported significant impairment in all aspects of HRQoL. As expected, those with higher levels of self-compassion reported less impairment in HRQoL, and this relationship was partially mediated by perceived symptom severity (all aspects of HRQoL). Resilience mediated the relationship between self-compassion and two aspects of HRQoL (emotional wellbeing and control/powerlessness).

CONCLUSION

These findings confirm that HRQoL is significantly impaired in individuals with endometriosis in Aotearoa New Zealand and point to the potential role of self-compassion and resilience as protective factors in encouraging positive coping styles to manage symptoms and maintain high HRQoL. Interventions targeting self-compassion may be a promising tool to improve wellbeing in individuals with endometriosis.

Resilience, anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction in women suffering from endometriosis: a mediation model

The main goal of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between resilience and life satisfaction in women suffering from endometriosis and examine anxiety and depression as mediators in this relationship. The study sample included 349 Caucasian women aged from 18 to 56 years (M = 32.94; SD = 6.74) suffering from endometriosis surgically diagnosed and histologically confirmed. The life satisfaction level was assessed by the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Unspecific anxiety was evaluated using the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7). Depression symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Resilience was measured using the Resilience Assessment Scale (SPP-25). Life satisfaction correlated negatively with anxiety and depression, but positively with resilience. Resilience correlated negatively with anxiety and depression. Anxiety and resilience accounted for 25% of the life satisfaction variance. Depression and resilience explained 35% of the variance in life satisfaction. Among resilience components, personal coping skills, tolerance of negative affect, tolerance of failures and treating life as a challenge, openness to new experiences and a sense of humour, and optimistic life attitude and ability to mobilize in difficult situations were the best predictors of life satisfaction. Anxiety and depression may serve as mediators in the relationship between resilience and life satisfaction. Our results suggested that resilience may be related to life satisfaction in women suffering from endometriosis directly and indirectly as mediated by anxiety and depression.

Mental Health and Social Support Are Key Predictors of Resilience in German Women with Endometriosis during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Endometriosis is a multifaceted chronic pain disorder that can have an impact on both physical and mental health. Women suffering from chronic pain may be more susceptible to various health disorders, especially during adversity, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research has identified resilience as a mediator between internal or external stressors and well-being. Methods: An online survey was conducted during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany through patient support groups of women with endometriosis. The Brief Resilience Score (BRS) was employed to evaluate resilience, while the PHQ-4 questionnaire was used to assess self-reported mental health. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to determine resilience’s independent risk and protective parameters. Results: High educational level was found to be an independent supportive moderator of high resilience in women with a resilience score greater than the study population’s median (BRS > 2.66; OR 2.715; 95% CI 1.472−5.007; p = 0.001) but not in women in the highest resilience score quartile (BRS > 3.33). A decrease in perceived social support was detected to be the most powerful independent risk factor for low resilience: OR 0.541, 95% CI 0.307−0.952, p = 0.033 for predicting BRS > 2.66, and OR 0.397, 95% CI 0.189−0.832, p = 0.014 for predicting scores > 3.33 on the BRS scale. A high burden of mental health symptoms, as measured by the PHQ-4 scale, was negatively associated with resilience. Conclusions: Satisfying social support and good mental health were shown to be key resources for resilience. The results of this study may assist in the identification of women at risk for low resilience and the development of resilience-building strategies in patients with endometriosis.

The Resilience Scale in Portuguese Adults under Assisted Reproductive Techniques

Assessing resilience response to an adverse event such as infertility requires measuring the same construct adequately and accurately by nurses. The objective of this study was to explore the validity and reliability of the Portuguese version of the Resilience Scale for adults. A cross-sectional and methodological design was used, and factor analyses were performed. The sample comprised 140 adult Portuguese individuals under fertility treatment recruited from health-related websites. The findings yielded a bad fit of the hypothesized Resilience Scale structure with the observed data. Instead, a 21-item tool with a four-factor structure revealed high internal consistency (0.94). The tool correlated positively and significantly to the Portuguese version of the Spiritual Well-Being Questionnaire and was negatively associated and lacked correlation with the Fertility Adjustment Scale. The 21-item Resilience Scale is a reliable tool suitable to measure resilience in Portuguese adults under assisted reproductive techniques. This tool offers the opportunity of early recognition by health professionals aiming to enhance patients’ coping skills effectively and promote positive psychological and mental health outcomes.