Cybervictimization and well-being among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: The mediating roles of emotional self-efficacy and emotion regulation

The relationship between interpersonal emotional regulation and psychological resilience in nursing undergraduates: a cross-sectional study and network analysis

Background and purpose

Nursing students are more likely to have mental health problems due to the influence of many social environment factors, such as busy professional courses, difficult balance of learning and practice and complex and changeable clinical work environment. Psychological resilience, as a well-known protective factor, plays an important role in maintaining students' mental health. At the same time, from the perspective of social interaction, the particularity of close interpersonal contact (including colleague relationship, nurse-patient relationship, etc.) in clinical practice makes interpersonal emotion regulation ability of nursing students have great significance. The emotion-regulation framework suggests a strong link between psychological resilience and emotional regulation. However, the correlation and function between the various components of psychological resilience and interpersonal emotional regulation are still unclear. Network analysis can realize the objective analysis and prediction of complex symptoms. This study investigated the network structure of interpersonal emotional regulation ability and psychological resilience in nursing undergraduates, aiming to identify central and bridge nodes and provide suggestions for precise intervention of interpersonal emotional regulation ability and psychological resilience in nursing undergraduates.

Methods

A total of 1,948 nursing undergraduates were included in our study. Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire (IRQ) was used to assess interpersonal emotional regulation. Psychological Resilience levels were assessed using The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Network analysis is used for statistical analysis.

Results

Network analysis revealed that IRQ14 (Enjoy being with friends), IRQ11 (Like to share), and CD-RISC11 (Believe in achieving goals) are core nodes of the interpersonal Emotional regulation-psychological resilience network. IRQ14 (Enjoy being with friends), CD-RISC2 (intimate relationship), and CD-RISC3 (The help of fate) are bridging nodes linking interpersonal emotional regulation and psychological resilience. In addition, the network structure is slightly different between different grades (upper and lower grades).

Conclusion

The relationship between core nodes and bridge nodes revealed in this study (including interpersonal relationship, positive emotion, optimistic personality and self-efficacy, etc.) may provide help for the accurate intervention of students' interpersonal emotion regulation ability and psychological resilience level.

Parental expectations and adolescents' happiness: the role of self-efficacy and connectedness

BACKGROUND

A happy adolescent may live a healthy and successful life. This study focused on parental expectations in the Chinese cultural context and investigated whether and under what conditions adolescents' perceived parental expectations are associated with their happiness, the affective component of subjective well-being.

SAMPLE AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study included a sample of 1510 Chinese adolescents; the average age of the adolescents was 12.39 years, and 55.40% were boys. A questionnaire including the perceived parental expectations scale, self-efficacy scale, connectedness subscale and one item that measured happiness was administered to the adolescents.

RESULTS

The results reveal that self-efficacy moderates the relationship between perceived parental expectations and happiness. For adolescents who exhibit higher levels of self-efficacy, perceived parental expectations are negatively correlated with happiness; in contrast, for adolescents who exhibit lower levels of self-efficacy, perceived parental expectations are not related to happiness. Moreover, the results reveal that connectedness moderates the relationship between perceived parental expectations and happiness. Among adolescents who exhibit higher levels of connectedness, a nonsignificant relationship is observed between perceived parental expectations and happiness; in contrast, among adolescents who exhibit lower levels of connectedness, perceived parental expectations are negatively related to happiness.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals that, under conditions featuring higher levels of self-efficacy or lower levels of connectedness, perceived parental expectations are not conducive to their happiness. These findings have important implications with regard to parenting practices.

Correlation between self-efficacy, parental parenting patterns, and severe depression in adolescents

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a critical period marked by significant psychological changes. This study explores how self-efficacy and parental parenting styles may influence the risk of severe depression among teens. The hypothesis is that higher self-efficacy and authoritative parenting patterns will be negatively correlated with severe depression in adolescents.

AIM

To investigate the correlation between self-efficacy, parenting patterns and major depression in adolescents, and to provide guidance for mental intervention.

METHODS

Using a cross-sectional survey design, the data were collected through a questionnaire survey. Patients with major depression and healthy adolescents in the hospital control group were selected as the study objects. The General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Parenting Style Evaluation Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory were used as research instruments. Data input and statistical analysis were performed, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, through SPSS software.

RESULTS

The study found that depressed patients had significantly lower self-efficacy than healthy controls, and parenting style was significantly associated with depressive symptoms in terms of emotional warmth and understanding, punishment severity, and denial. Specifically, parental emotional warmth and understanding were significantly negatively associated with depressive symptoms, while parental punishment severity and denial were significantly positively associated with depressive symptoms. Self-efficacy showed a significant negative correlation with depressive symptoms, indicating that higher self-efficacy had lower depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Adolescent major depressive disorder patient was significantly associated with their parenting style and self-efficacy. Higher self-efficacy is associated with decreased depressive symptoms, so improving adolescent self-efficacy and improving parenting style are important.

Effects of three prophylactic interventions on French middle-schoolers' mental health: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Adolescence is a strategic developmental stage in terms of preventing later difficulties and ensuring good mental health. Prophylactic interventions, which are conducted before the onset, prolongation, or worsening of difficulties, and aim to prevent or reduce symptoms or to promote wellbeing, therefore appear particularly appropriate for adolescents. However, existing prophylactic interventions conducted with adolescents have several weaknesses, including sparse theoretical frameworks, ambivalent evidence of their efficacy, and implementation and dissemination difficulties. In addition, no data are currently available on the effectiveness of such interventions in France. To fill this gap, a four-arm randomized controlled trial will be performed to assess the effectiveness of three prophylactic interventions targeting reactive, proactive and interpersonal adaptation in fourth-grade middle-school students, together with participants' experience and perception of the interventions. Based on existing knowledge about adolescents, their learning mechanisms, and field constraints, these three interventions have been designed to promote their learning and receptiveness to interventions. Compared with baseline (i.e., before the intervention), we expect to observe a significant decrease in the level of distress (anxiety and depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and psychosocial difficulties) and a significant increase in the level of wellbeing after the intervention, across the three intervention groups, but not in the control group. In addition, we expect to observe post-intervention improvements in the processes targeted by the reactive adaptation intervention (operationalized as coping strategy use and flexibility), those targeted by the proactive adaptation intervention (operationalized as the tendency to engage in committed actions and general self-efficacy), and those targeted by the interpersonal adaptation intervention (operationalized as assertiveness in interactions), but only in the corresponding groups, with no change in any of these processes in the control group. The results of this research will not only enrich our knowledge of the processes involved in adolescents' distress and wellbeing, but also provide clues as to the best targets for intervention. Moreover, the material for these interventions will be freely available in French on request to the corresponding author, providing access to innovative and fully assessed interventions aimed at promoting adolescents' mental health in France.This clinical trial is currently being registered under no. 2023-A01973-42 on https://ansm.sante.fr/ . This is the first version of the protocol.

Victimization and cybervictimization: The role of school factors

INTRODUCTION

Victimization and cybervictimization can negatively affect the subjective experience of well-being. This effect can be mediated by school factors, even if a deep understanding of these factors still needs to be determined. The present study examined how peer network, teacher support, and school connectedness mediated the relationship between victimization, cybervictimization, and well-being. We developed two mediation models, considering victimization (Model 1) and cybervictimization (Model 2) as predictors, well-being as the outcome, peer network, teacher support, and school connectedness as parallel mediators, and gender as a covariate variable.

METHODS

The sample comprised 563 Italian students (Mage = 11.5; 45% females). Students filled out a purpose-built questionnaire investigating victimization and cybervictimization, peer network, teacher support, school connectedness, and well-being. Two multiple mediation models were run using Process.

RESULTS

The two models showed similar patterns [Model 1: F(8, 169) = 34.35, p ≤ .001, R2 = .34; Model 2: F(8, 169) = 40.13, p ≤ .001, R2 = .34]. Indeed, victimization (Model 1) and cybervictimization (Model 2) had negative significant effects on peer network, teacher support, and school connectedness. However, their direct effects on well-being were not significant, as peer network and school connectedness emerged as complete mediators between victimization (Model 1) and cybervictimization (Model 2) and well-being. Males displayed higher levels of well-being compared to females.

CONCLUSIONS

Peer network and school connectedness play a crucial role in mediating the impact of victimization and cybervictimization on well-being. Educators and policymakers should prioritize fostering supportive peer network and strengthening school connectedness to create an environment that mitigates the negative effects of victimization and cybervictimization, enhancing overall student well-being.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on characteristics, extent and trends in child maltreatment in 34 Euro-CAN COST Action countries: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

While the factors commonly associated with an increased risk of child maltreatment (CM) were found to be increased during COVID-19, reports of actual maltreatment showed varying trends. Similarly, evidence regarding the impact of COVID-19 on CM within the European Cooperation on Science and Technology and Network Collaborative (COST) Action countries remains inconsistent. This scoping review aims to explore the extent and nature of evidence pertaining to CM within the countries affiliated with the Child Abuse and Neglect in Europe Action Network (Euro-CAN), funded by the COST.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Key electronic databases were searched to identify eligible papers, reports and other material published between January 2020 and April 2023: PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Social Policy and Practice, Scopus and Web of Science. To cover the breadth of evidence, a systematic and broad search strategy was applied using a combination of keywords and controlled vocabulary for four concepts: children, maltreatment, COVID-19 and Euro-CAN countries, without restrictions on study design or language. Grey literature was searched in OpenGrey and Google Scholar. Two reviewers will independently screen full-text publications for eligibility and undertake data extraction, using a customised grid. The screening criteria and data charting will be piloted by the research team.The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews will be followed to present the results. Results will be summarised in a tabular form and narratively.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This review will identify and summarise publicly available data, without requiring ethical approval. The findings will be disseminated to the Euro-CAN Network and reported to the COST Association. They will also be published in a peer-reviewed journal. This protocol is registered on Open Science Framework.

Positive youth development attributes, mental disorder, and problematic online behaviors in adolescents: a longitudinal study amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents have increasingly suffered from online problem behaviors and mental disorders. But little research has paid attention to the protective factors among adolescents. Therefore, the present study attempted to investigate the role of positive youth development (PYD) attributes in adolescents' depression, internet gaming disorder (IGD) and cyberbullying/victimization (CBV).

Methods

A total of 995 Chinese adolescents (M_age = 15.97 years, SD = 0.77, 325 boys) from two public high schools in Hubei province were recruited to participate in the three-wave longitudinal study over the span of 1 year during the pandemic (Time 1: November, 2020; Time 2: May, 2021; Time 3: November, 2021).

Results

T1 PYD attributes negatively predicted T2 depression and T3 online problematic behaviors. T2 depression positively predicted IGD at T3. T3 IGD significantly predicted greater involvement in T3 CBV, and vice versa. Moreover, depression and one online problem behavior mediated the relationships between PYD attributes and the other online problem behavior, separately and sequentially.

Discussion

These findings demonstrated the protective role of PYD attributes in prevention of mental disorders and online problem behaviors among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Comprehensive measures should be taken to assist young people to develop more PYD attributes to promote healthy growth.

Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected Cyberbullying and Cybervictimization Prevalence among Children and Adolescents? A Systematic Review

In light of the alarming results emerging from some studies and reports on the significant increase in aggressive online behaviors among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, the current research aimed at providing a more detailed evaluation of the investigations focusing on the cyberbullying prevalence rates published between 2020 and 2023. To this purpose, systematic searches were conducted on four databases (Web of Science, APA PsycInfo, Scopus and Google Scholar), and following PRISMA guidelines, 16 studies were included and qualitatively reviewed. Although studies were characterized by a large variety in cyberbullying operationalization and measurement, and by different methodologies used for data collection, the prevalence rates of the involvement in cyberbullying and/or cybervictimization generally revealed opposite trends: an increase in many Asian countries and Australia and a decrease in Western countries. The findings were also discussed by considering the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, some suggestions were provided to policy makers for promoting prevention and intervention anti-cyberbullying programs in school contexts.

Science Mapping: A Bibliometric Analysis on Cyberbullying and the Psychological Dimensions of the Self

Cyberbullying prevalence is increasing in the world, being a form of abuse that follows victims into their most intimate settings. Cyberbullying affects victims' mental health, self-esteem, emotions, and academic performance. Cyberbullies present low levels of self-control and empathy. This research aimed to map scientific research on Cyberbullying and the Psychological Dimensions of the Self. A bibliometric analysis of scientific documents published in journals indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) was performed. Traditional bibliometric laws were applied and VOSviewer was used to generate visualizations. The annual publications followed exponential growth. Computers in Human Behaviour was the journal with the most publications. Researchers from the USA and Spain were the most prolific. Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin were the most cited authors. Hence, there is a growing interest among researchers in Cyberbullying and the emotional aspects of children and adolescents. The USA and Spain were the leading countries in research on this subject. Rosario Ortega-Ruiz, Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin were the most prolific and influential authors.

The Effect of School Bullying on Pupils' Perceived Stress and Wellbeing During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study

PURPOSE

Establishing how the Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdowns have affected adolescent mental health is a key societal priority. Though numerous studies have examined this topic, few have focused on the wellbeing of pupils who experience school bullying. This is particularly important as pupils who experience bullying represent a vulnerable group at increased risk of mental illness. Therefore, we sought to investigate the relationship between experience of bullying and adolescent wellbeing during lockdown and subsequent re-opening of schools.

METHODS

We used the TeenCovidLife dataset to examine the relationship between experience of bullying and pupils' perceived stress and wellbeing across three timepoints. Pupils aged 12-17 (n = 255) completed surveys during the first Covid-19 lockdown (May-July 2020), when they returned to school after the first lockdown (August-October 2020), and during the summer term of 2021 (May-June 2021).

RESULTS

Perceived stress was higher in the group of pupils that experienced bullying than in the group that did not, though this difference between groups was smaller during lockdown than when pupils were attending school in person. Pupils who were bullied showed lower wellbeing across all timepoints. For the full sample of pupils, wellbeing was lowest (and perceived stress highest) at Time 3, one year after the first Covid-19 lockdown.

CONCLUSION

The findings challenge previous assumptions that Covid-19 lockdowns were associated with a generalised decline in adolescent mental health. Instead, the picture is more nuanced, with perceived stress, though not wellbeing, varying according pupils' experiences of school bullying.

Parental attachment and cyberbullying among college students: the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating role of interdependent self

Although considerable research has shown that attachment is a protective factor for cyberbullying, little research has investigated the mechanisms underlying this relationship among college students. This study examined whether loneliness mediates the association between parental attachment and cyberbullying and whether this process is moderated by interdependent self. A sample of 1125 college students (Mage = 19.14, SDage = 1.52 years) in China completed a questionnaire measuring parental attachment, cyberbullying, loneliness, and interdependent self. Loneliness partially mediated the relationship between parental attachment and cyberbullying. Moreover, the mediation effect of loneliness was moderated by interdependent self. A moderated mediation analysis further revealed that interdependent-self moderated the predictive effect of loneliness on cyberbullying. Specifically, the predictive effect of loneliness on cyberbullying was only significant among college students with low interdependent self. The study highlights the complex nature of the association between parental attachment and cyberbullying. These findings provide new perspectives for intervention and prevention of cyberbullying among college students.

Cyber victimization and well-being in adolescents: The sequential mediation role of forgiveness and coping with cyberbullying

Cyber victimization is an important problem among adolescents and it can have negative effects on well-being. However, efforts to increase the well-being of cyber victims have been increasing in recent years. It is important to uncover the underlying mechanisms that may affect the well-being of cyber victims. This study used the transactional model of stress and coping theory as a conceptual framework, and proposed that hope and coping strategies are sequential mediators for the effects of cyber-victimization on well-being. A total of 337 students aged between 14 and 19 participated in this research (Mage = 16.56). We used the Cyber Victimization Scale, the Forgiveness Scale for Adolescents, the Scale for Coping with Cyber Bullying, and the Well-Being Scale as data collection tools. Pearson Correlation was used to examine the relationships between cyber victimization, coping with cyberbullying, well-being and forgiveness. Afterward, measurement modeling was done using AMOS 22.0 and the PROCESS macro was used for hypothesis testing. The results show that there is a negative relationship between cyber victimization and forgiveness, coping with cyberbullying, and well-being. In addition, forgiveness and coping with cyberbullying was found to have a sequential mediating effect on the relationship between cyber victimization and well-being. The research results provide information on how to increase the well-being of adolescents experiencing cyber victimization.

Personal and Witnessed Cyber Victimization Experiences Among Adolescents at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Personal experiences with cyber victimization among adolescents have been consistently associated with well-being problems. Few studies have examined the impact of witnessing cyber victimization on adolescent well-being. The current study examines adolescents' personal and witnessed experiences with cyber victimization during the beginning stages of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The main aim of the study is to test whether witnessing cyber victimization incidents among peers strengthens or weakens the association between personal cyber victimization incidents and adolescents' feelings of anxiety. Adolescents from the United States were recruited via social media site advertisements. An online survey was completed by 992 adolescents (M age = 16.09, SD = 1.24) from ethnically diverse backgrounds (49% White, 18% Asian/Asian-American, 14% Latinx, 9% Black/African-American, and 10% Other). The key results revealed a significant moderating role of witnessed cyber victimization incidents. Among adolescents who witnessed low levels of cyberbullying, the more they were personally cyber victimized, the higher their levels of anxiety. However, for adolescents who witnessed higher levels of cyberbullying incidents, the association between personal cyber victimization and anxiety was not significant. The findings suggest that adolescents who personally experience cyber victimization may feel less alone in their plight and thus, less anxious if they also witness others being targeted online.

The Association between Appetitive Aggression and Social Media Addiction Mediated by Cyberbullying: The Moderating Role of Inclusive Norms

Appetitive aggression, i.e., the motivation to obtain rewards through aggressive behaviors, has been suggested as a key driver of cyberbullying. Due to the contextual properties of cyberspace (e.g., anonymity), it is assumed that the negative effects of cyberbullying are masked, leading to a preponderance of its positive outcomes (e.g., thrill). Since cyberbullying occurs predominantly in social media, reward-learning effects may lead to problematic social media use, such as addiction. Anti-cyberbullying inclusive norms might act as a buffering factor to break this chain. However, while inclusive norms are known to reduce cyberbullying in general, their influence on the indirect effect of appetitive aggression via cyberbullying on social media addiction is yet unknown. The present study examined this indirect effect, while taking the moderating role of inclusive norms into account. A total of 1064 adolescents (42.05% male, Mage = 14.07, SD = 2.15) completed questionnaires. Results revealed the indirect effect of appetitive aggression on social media addiction through cyberbullying as expected. Surprisingly, this indirect effect was amplified with increasing anti-cyberbullying inclusive norms. Our findings indicate that appetitive aggression, which manifests in cyberbullying, contributes to the development of social media addiction. The unexpected results and the implications of our findings were discussed.

Adaptation of Emotional Flexibility Scale: Its Association with Subjective Well Being and Resilience During Covid-19 Pandemic

The corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a global health crisis causing fear and negative psychological consequences. In this study, the validity and reliability of the Emotional Flexibility Scale were evaluated in a sample of adolescents in Turkey. A total of 833 high school students from 65 different cities participated in the study. Emotional flexibility, adolescent psychological resilience, and adolescents' subjective well-being Scales were used as data collection tools. For the adaptation of emotional flexibility scale, confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity, and reliability analyses were used. Also, the mediating role of subjective well-being on the relationship between emotional flexibility and resilience was tested. Emotional flexibility was found to be associated with subjective well-being and resilience. The results of the study show that the Emotional Flexibility Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool in the sample of adolescents in Turkey.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12187-022-09959-9.

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal: The role of personality traits and emotion regulation strategies

Recent evidence suggests that both personality traits (PT) and emotion regulation (ER) strategies play an important role in the way people cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was two folded. First, to longitudinally investigate the psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress levels) taking in consideration PT and ER strategies in 3 different moments: during the first lockdown period (April/20), at the first deconfinement (May/20) and 1-month after the first deconfinement (Jun/20)-Experiment I. Second, to cross-sectionally evaluate the impact of the pandemic in psychological distress and the correlates with PT and ER 6-months after the first deconfinement November/20 to February/21 -Experiment II. A total of 722 volunteers (Experiment I = 180; Experiment II = 542) aged 18 years or older participated in this online survey. The findings from Experiment I show that psychological distress decreased after the lockdown period, however, neuroticism traits predicted higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms, while difficulties in ER strategies were identified as a risk factor for depression and stress. For experiment II, neuroticism traits and being infected with COVID-19 were associated to higher levels of symptomatology, while unemployment and the use of emotional suppression strategies to cope with emotional situations were associated to depressive and anxiety symptoms. Although the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak decreased over time in our sample, the current findings suggest that difficulties in emotional regulation and high levels of neuroticism traits might be potential risk factors for psychiatric symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, people with difficulties in ER and neuroticism traits would benefit from psychological interventions that provide personality-appropriate support and promote emotion regulation skills during stressful events, such as the case of the global pandemic.

The Moderating Effect of COVID-19 Risk Perception on the Relationship Between Empathy and COVID-19 Volunteer Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jiangsu, China

The health system has encountered great challenges since the COVID-19 outbreak, volunteers are urgently needed in every situation during this crisis. The current study aimed to explore the relationship between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior, along with the moderating role of COVID-19 risk perception in the above relationship. The cross-sectional survey was conducted online using Wenjuanxing from February 12th to March 16th, 2021, in Jiangsu, China. A total of 1,486 participants completed the Toronto Empathy COVID-19 volunteer behavior and COVID-19 risk perception questionnaires. The SPSS PROCESS macro was yielded to examine the moderating effect. Simple slopes analysis was conducted to detect the associations between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior at three levels of the COVID-19 risk perception. The Johnson-Neyman (J-N) technique was used to calculate where the moderating effect is significance. Results showed that empathy was positively related with COVID-19 volunteer behavior (β= 0.080, p < 0.001). COVID-19 risk perception played a moderation effect on association between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior (β = -0.005, p < 0.001), the greater the levels of COVID-19 risk perception, the weaker the associations between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior. The J-N test showed the association between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior was no longer significant when values of COVID-19 risk perception was >10.71. Current findings could enlighten researchers and policy makers, that fostering volunteerism among public during crisis situation through arousing more empathy and reducing unnecessary risk perception of the public.

Exploring member’s knowledge sharing intention in online health communities: The effects of social support and overload

This study explores the determinants of members’ participation intention in online health communities (OHC) from both the facilitators and barriers points of view. From the facilitators perspective, each member’s subjective well-being plays a crucial role in sharing intention. On the other hand, from the barriers point of view, social network site exhaustion would negatively affect. The survey was conducted on two online support groups, including parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and caregivers of dementia disease. This study collected 330 questionnaires from social network sites to examine the research model. The results showed that social support positively affects members’ self-efficacy; in turn, self-efficacy has a positive effect on subjective well-being. Overload has an impact on psychological distress. Moreover, members’ subjective well-being determined their knowledge sharing intention.