Examining student well-being: Development and initial validation of the perceived vulnerability and hardiness scale

OBJECTIVES

The primary aim was to assess the factor structure and establish measurement invariance across sex for the Perceived Vulnerability and Hardiness Scale.

PARTICIPANTS

Sample 1 (N = 377) and Sample 2 (N = 401) were volunteers from six large southern universities.

METHODS

Iterative and collaborative survey-based focus groups were used to create the final version of the PVHS.

RESULTS

A two-factor model was identified through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The psychological hardiness subscale was found to positively correlate with hardiness and resilience, and negatively correlate with psychosocial functioning, depression, and anxiety. The vulnerability subscale was found to positively, strongly correlate with the anxiety, psychological vulnerability, and psychosocial functioning, and negatively correlate with the hardiness and resilience. Men and women interpreted the PVHS in an equivalent manner.

CONCLUSIONS

This brief measure provides researchers, counselors, and administrations a method for general assessment, intervention effectiveness, and evaluation of campus climates.

Perception of PrEP-related stigma in PrEP users: Results from the ANRS-PREVENIR cohort

INTRODUCTION

Since the advent of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), stigma has been shown to be a major barrier to its uptake and adherence. It is therefore essential to define the proportion of users who consider that PrEP can negatively impact their image and the factors associated with this perception.

METHOD

We performed a multivariable logistic regression on data from the 2567 participants in the ANRS-PREVENIR study who answered the outcome question.

RESULTS

Almost one-third of the sample (comprising mostly cisgender men who have sex with men [94.3%]) considered that taking PrEP could give others a negative image of them. Younger participants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97-0.99) and more psychologically vulnerable participants (i.e., lower self-esteem score [aOR 0.98; 95% CI 0.96-0.99] and higher depression score [aOR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00-1.03]) were also more likely to have this perception. In contrast, participants encouraged to take PrEP by their main partner (aOR 0.67; 95% CI 0.51-0.88) and friends (aOR 0.79; 95% CI 0.66-0.95), and those who protected themselves more because they had knowledge of their most recent sexual partner's HIV status (aOR 0.83; 95% CI 0.69-0.99) and systematic use of PrEP and/or condoms during intercourse in the previous 3 months (aOR 0.80; 95% CI 0.67-0.96) were less likely to have this perception.

DISCUSSION

Given the strong interrelation between stigmatization (real or perceived), risky behaviours and adherence, our results emphasize the need for HIV prevention campaigns to promote a positive image of PrEP users. They also show that stigmatization and its effects need to be fully considered to improve HIV prevention offers to current and potential PrEP users who are most likely to be psychologically vulnerable.

COVID-19 infection: Positive mental health, psychological vulnerability and sex: Cross-sectional study

Since mid-March 2020, a state of emergency was decreed in Portugal due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, consequently, measures were implemented to protect public health, such as social isolation, which will certainly have a notable impact on the mental health of the population, especially in the most vulnerable groups. Positive Mental Health (PMH) is essential to deal with adversity, in this case with the pandemic, and to live better and with greater satisfaction. We consider it relevant to investigate how PMH was used as a resource to deal with the pandemic, depending on the level of vulnerability and sex. A, cross-sectional study was carried out whose the aim was to evaluate the levels of PMH and psychological vulnerability in people with COVOD-19 infection and analyze the association between PMH and psychological vulnerability among men and women.

METHODS

The instruments used were a sociodemographic characterization questionnaire, the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire, and the Psychological Vulnerability Scale (PVS), that were sent and filled out online. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study was carried out.

RESULTS

After analyzing the results, it was found that approximately 50.4% of the respondents (n = 387) had global PMH values that place them in quartile 50. There was also a statistically significant difference between female and male PMH, with women showing greater psychological vulnerability and lower overall PMH.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the women present a greater psychological vulnerability and a lower level of PMH when compared to men.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Considering the study's statistically significant results, when we talk about mental health, we should always consider the sex variable as a vulnerability factor, in a pandemic or non-pandemic phase.

The Effects of Cognitive Fusion on Depression in Primary School Principals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Psychological Vulnerability and the Moderating Role of Self-Esteem

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic had triggered a serious crisis that had brought stress and challenges to primary school principals, as well as having a dramatic impact on their mental health. This study explored the relationship between cognitive fusion and depression among primary school principals during COVID-19, as well as the mediating role of psychological vulnerability and the moderation role of self-esteem in this process.

Patients and Methods

Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ), Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), psychological vulnerability scale, and self-esteem scale were used to measure 279 rural primary school principals. The data were analyzed by adopting Pearson's correlations and moderated mediation analysis.

Results

The results revealed that: (1) There were significant relationships among cognitive fusion, depression, psychological vulnerability and self-esteem. (2) The results showed that psychological vulnerability mediated the link between cognitive fusion and depression. (3) Self-esteem moderated the associations between cognitive fusion and depression, and also moderated the associations between cognitive fusion and psychological vulnerability. The relationship between cognitive fusion and depression was weaker for primary school principals with high levels of self-esteem. In contrast, the relationship between cognitive fusion and psychological vulnerability was stronger for primary school principals with low levels of self-esteem.

Conclusion

Psychological vulnerability played a mediating role in the relationship between cognitive fusion and depression. Moreover, self-esteem moderated the effect of cognitive fusion on depression, and also the effect of cognitive fusion on psychological vulnerability.

Psychological Vulnerability Indices and the Adolescent's Good Mental Health Factors: A Correlational Study in a Sample of Portuguese Adolescents

Background: Psychological vulnerability (PV) indicates the individual’s inability to adapt to stressful situations. Adolescents experience negative impacts on their future mental health if they do not acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to have good mental health during their developmental stage. Aim: To compare the PV index among the three stages of adolescence and to explore the factors involved in good mental health, including the relationship between adolescents’ PV indices and sociodemographic variables, and the relationship between adolescents’ PV index and their knowledge of the factors that characterize good mental health. Method: An exploratory, cross-sectional, correlational study was carried out in three public schools in a region of Portugal, using online self-completed questionnaires: the Psychological Vulnerability Scale (PVS) and the Mental Health-Promoting Knowledge (MHPK-10). Results: Our convenience sample consisted of 260 adolescents, with a mean age of 14.07 years who were students between 5th and 12th grades, mostly female. Moderate PV indexes were obtained that were higher in late adolescence, i.e., in older adolescents, who were females in a more advanced school year, with worse self-perceptions of their physical and mental health and body image, and who frequently used a health service due to mental health problems. The association between the PV index and the level of knowledge about the factors involved in good mental health did not reach a statistical significance (p = 0.06). Conclusions: These results suggest a need for a design of personalized interventions that promote adolescents’ mental health literacy, that prevent PV, and that should be initiated in early adolescence.

Effect of physical frailty on elder mistreatment in a national survey: examining psychological vulnerability, housework involvement, and financial independence as mediators

OBJECTIVES

To explore the prevalence of EM in an older Chinese population and examine the mediating role of three psychosocial variables - psychological vulnerability, housework involvement, and financial independence - in the relationship between physical frailty and EM.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis.

SETTING

The data source was the Third Survey on Chinese Women's Social Status (SCSSW), which is a nationwide decennial survey conducted in 2010.

PARTICIPANTS

Community-dwelling adults aged 60 and older who participated in SCSSW (N = 3516).

MEASUREMENTS

The past-year prevalence of EM and its seven subtypes, physical frailty, psychological vulnerability, housework involvement, financial independence, and demographic characteristics.

RESULTS

The past-year prevalence of EM was 4% among Chinese older adults, with psychological abuse being the most common subtype (3.9%). A higher level of physical frailty had a direct influence on EM. Older adults with higher levels of physical frailty were more likely to have higher levels of psychological vulnerability (anxiety, loneliness, and uselessness) and lower levels of housework involvement, which further correlated with increased risk of EM. Frail Chinese older adults were less likely to have financial independence, which in turn, surprisingly predicted a lower probability of EM.

CONCLUSIONS

In this nationally representative sample, we provided the first evidence of the prevalence of EM among Chinese older adults and expanded the global understanding of EM by examining the mediating role of three psychosocial variables. Future studies are warranted to corroborate our findings and identify factors contributing to the complex mechanism of EM.

Positive Mental Health in University Students and Its Relations with Psychological Vulnerability, Mental Health Literacy, and Sociodemographic Characteristics: A Descriptive Correlational Study

This study aimed to evaluate positive mental health (PMH) and its relation with sociodemographic characteristics, mental health literacy, and the psychological vulnerability scale (PVS) in Portuguese university students aged 17 to 62. A descriptive correlational study was carried out. An online survey was conducted to evaluate demographic variables, and several questionnaires were applied to evaluate positive mental health, psychological vulnerability, and mental health literacy. The data was collected from 1 November 2019 to 1 September 2020. Overall, 3405 students participated in the study. The results show that 67.8% of students revealed a high level of PMH, 31.6% presented a medium level of PMH, and 0.6% had a low level of PMH. Male students reported higher personal satisfaction (t (3170) = −2.39, p = 0.017) and autonomy (t (3170) = −3.33, p = 0.001) in PMH compared to female students. Students without a scholarship scored higher (t (3127) = −2.04, p = 0.42) in PMH than students who held a scholarship. Students who were not displaced from their home reported higher (t (3170) = −1.99, p = 0.047) self-control in PMH than those displaced from their home. University students with higher PMH results had lower PVS results and higher literacy results. The findings of this study will contribute to identifying students’ PMH intervention needs.

Exploring the Structure and Interrelations of Time-Stable Psychological Resilience, Psychological Vulnerability, and Social Cohesion

The current study explores the relationship between three constructs of high relevance in the context of adversities which have, however, not yet been systematically linked on the level of psychological dispositions: psychological vulnerability, psychological resilience, and social cohesion. Based on previous theoretical and empirical frameworks, a collection of trait questionnaires was assessed in a Berlin sample of 3,522 subjects between 18 and 65 years of age. Using a confirmatory factor analytical approach, we found no support for a simple three-factor structure. Results from exploratory structural analyses suggest that instead of psychological resilience and psychological vulnerability constituting two separate factors, respective indicators load on one bipolar latent factor. Interestingly, some psychological resilience indicators contributed to an additional specific latent factor, which may be interpreted as adaptive capacities, that is, abilities to adapt to changes or adjust to consequences of adversities. Furthermore, instead of evidence for one single social cohesion factor on the psychological level, indicators of perceived social support and loneliness formed another specific factor of social belonging, while indicators of prosocial competencies were found to form yet another distinct factor, which was positively associated to the other social factors, adaptive capacities and social belonging. Our results suggest that social cohesion is composed of different independent psychological components, such as trust, social belonging, and social skills. Furthermore, our findings highlight the importance of social capacities and belonging for psychological resilience and suggest that decreasing loneliness and increasing social skills should therefore represent a valuable intervention strategy to foster adaptive capacities.

Testing a model of subjective well-being: The roles of optimism, psychological vulnerability, and shyness

This research extended current positive psychological research by investigating the mediating effect of shyness on the association between optimism, psychological vulnerability and subjective well-being. Two hundred fifty-five volunteer university students (131 females and 124 males, mean age = 23.14) participated in the study. The structural equation modeling revealed shyness fully mediated the effect of psychological vulnerability on subjective well-being, while shyness partially mediated the effect of optimism on subjective well-being. Also, bootstrapping procedures confirmed that psychological vulnerability was indirectly associated with subjective well-being through shyness, whereas optimism was directly associated with subjective well-being. The implications for future studies and the limitations of the study were discussed in the context of the relevant literature.

Psychometric Properties of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale in Higher Education Students

BACKGROUND

Psychological vulnerability is related to cognitive beliefs that reflect dependence on one's sense of self-worth and to maladaptive functioning. It is a disadvantage that renders people less protected to face negative life experiences.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to adapt and test the psychometric properties of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale in a sample of 267 Portuguese higher education students.

DESIGN

A psychometric study of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale, after translation into Portuguese, was performed with a convenience sample of higher education students. Participants were asked to fill in the sociodemographic questionnaire, the Psychological Vulnerability Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory, and a one-item question about the Perception of Vulnerability.

RESULTS

The mean age of the participants was 20.5 years ( SD = 3.3). A factor analysis confirmed the original one-factor structure, explaining 42.9% of the total variance. The Psychological Vulnerability Scale showed adequate internal consistency and excellent test-retest stability. Convergent validity was confirmed by positive correlations with the Brief Symptom Inventory and Perception of Vulnerability.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the Psychological Vulnerability Scale showed good validity, reliability, and stability over time. The Psychological Vulnerability Scale is now ready to be used by practitioners and researchers to measure the psychological vulnerability among Portuguese higher education students. These data add to the body of knowledge of psychiatric and mental health nursing and provides support for the use of the Psychological Vulnerability Scale in higher education students.

Psychological Vulnerability and Subjective Happiness: The Mediating Role of Hopelessness

The current study examined the mediating role of hopelessness on the relationship between psychological vulnerability and subjective happiness. It was anticipated that hopelessness may act as a mediator in the relationship between psychological vulnerability and subjective happiness. Two hundred sixty-nine (150 women and 119 men) university students completed the Psychological Vulnerability Scale, the Subjective Happiness Scale and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. Data have been collected in the 2013-2014 academic year. The present study was designed as a cross-sectional study. Correlational results indicated that psychological vulnerability and hopelessness were significantly negatively associated with subjective happiness. Results using structural equation modelling showed that hopelessness fully mediated the relationship between psychological vulnerability and subjective happiness. Implications for future research and limitations of the present study are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Is Psychological Vulnerability Related to the Experience of Fraud in Older Adults?

Financial exploitation, and particularly thefts and scams, are increasing at an alarming rate. In this study we (a) determined the national prevalence of older adults who report having been a victim of fraud, (b) created a population-based model for the prediction of fraud, and (c) examined how fraud is experienced by the most psychologically vulnerable older adults. The older adults studied were 4,400 participants in a Health and Retirement Study substudy, the 2008 Leave Behind Questionnaire. The prevalence of fraud across the previous 5 years was 4.5%. Among measures collected in 2002, age, education, and depression were significant predictors of fraud. Financial satisfaction and social-needs fulfillment were measured in 2008 and were significantly related to fraud above and beyond the 2002 predictors. Using depression and social-needs fulfillment to determine the most psychologically vulnerable older adults, we found that fraud prevalence was three times higher (14%) among those with the highest depression and the lowest social-needs fulfillment than among the rest of the sample (4.1%; χ² = 20.49; p < .001). Clinical gerontologists and other professionals in the field need to be aware of their psychologically vulnerable clients heightened exposure to financial fraud.