The relationship between sense of coherence and mental health problems from childhood to young adulthood: A meta-analysis

Association between sense of coherence and phasic heart rate variability under psychosocial stress conditions

The concept of sense of coherence (SOC) is fundamental in salutogenesis, with an enhanced SOC being conducive to health promotion. Nonetheless, the precise physiological mechanisms through which SOC responds to stress and influences health remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to compare the effects of varying SOC levels on the autonomic nervous system during psychosocial stress conditions, employing phasic heart rate variability (HRV) as a measure. Thirty healthy volunteers participated in the study and were categorized into low- and high-SOC groups according to their SOC scores. A speech preparation task served as the acute stressor, with HRV recorded for physiological assessment. HRV data were analyzed across three phases-baseline, stress, and recovery. Two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant distinction in the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) values between the low- and high-SOC groups under stress conditions (p=0.026). In particular, the high-SOC group exhibited a significant increase in RMSSD values during the transition from the stress to recovery phase (p=0.020), whereas the low-SOC group displayed no significant change in RMSSD values (p=0.844). These findings suggest that individuals with low SOC may encounter challenges in effectively regulating the autonomic nervous system, potentially leading to slower recovery from stress.

Examining salutogenesis and psychological wellbeing in persons affected by substance addiction: A scoping review

AIM

This review explores how salutogenesis impacts the mental well-being of individuals affected by substance addiction.

BACKGROUND

The study focuses on how salutogenesis, which emphasizes health-promoting factors, influences the psychological well-being of affected persons (APs). It examines the relationship between Sense of Coherence (SOC) and psychological well-being in this caregiving context.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted to assess existing research on this topic.

RESULTS

A positive link between SOC and psychological well-being was identified, with a higher SOC associated with better mental health outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The findings give emphasis to the importance of SOC in improving psychological well-being and resilience among individuals affected by substance addiction. The review highlights the need for further research and interventions aimed at strengthening SOC to enhance mental health and coping skills.

Sense of Coherence and Past and/or Present Mental Health Problems Among Conscripts at Military Call-up in Northern Finland

INTRODUCTION

Sense of coherence (SOC) refers to the psychosocial aspects and origins of health. Sense of coherence is related to physical and psychological health and quality of life. Military studies on SOC are commonly related to military deployment or operations, military training, and military fitness. Sense of coherence is assessed using a self-report scale. The total score of the scale indicates the level of SOC. Psychometric research studies over 2 past decades, however, suggest that the SOC scale is a multidimensional measure, and the latent factors should be considered as separate dimensions of SOC. Thus far, there are no previous factorial structure studies of the SOC scale in military contexts or in military populations. The dimensions of SOC have not been investigated in relation to mental health and subjective well-being of soldiers, military personnel, or military recruits/conscripts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study examined the structure of the self-report SOC scale among 2614 military conscripts at military call-up (before obligatory military service) in Northern Finland. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test 4 different structure models based on previous studies of the SOC scale (1-, 2-, or 3-factor models). The dimensions of SOC were investigated in relation to conscripts' self-reported past and/or present mental health problems. Demographic variables were explored. Nonparametric tests for group and pairwise analyses were used.

RESULTS

The 11-item 2-factor model fitted the data best. The 2-factor structure represented the cognitive behavioral (comprehensibility and manageability) and motivational (meaningfulness) dimensions of SOC. The motivational dimension was higher among conscripts who reported past but no present mental health problems as compared to conscripts who reported past and present mental health problems. A similar difference was not found in the cognitive behavioral dimension. Both cognitive behavioral and motivational dimensions of SOC were higher among conscripts who reported not having past or present mental health problems.

CONCLUSIONS

SOC among conscripts is a 2-dimensional model. The experience of recovery from past mental health problems is related to a stronger motivational dimension (meaningfulness towards life), which shows upon obligatory military service and training. Sense of coherence motivational aspect may be useful when training recruits. Demographic variables, such as economic situation, family structure, and parents' employment, should be considered when assessing past and/or present mental health problems and SOC.

Unraveling the power of sense of coherence: a key predictor of symptom severity among depressive disorders clients

BACKGROUND

Despite advancements in therapies, the severity of depressive symptoms continues to challenge psychiatric nurses. However, research has indicated that a higher sense of coherence (SOC) can act as a protective factor against the development of diseases and promote faster recovery.

AIM

This study aimed to investigate whether SOC could serve as an indicator of depressive symptom severity among clients with depression.

DESIGN

The study employed a cross-sectional design and followed the STROBE checklist for reporting observational studies.

METHODS

A convenient sample of 169 clients with depression participated in the study. The researchers utilized the Antonovsky Sense of Coherence Scale-29 and the Beck Depression Inventory-II to assess SOC and depressive symptoms, respectively.

RESULTS

The study findings indicated that a substantial proportion of the participants (35.5%) had low Sense of Coherence (SOC) levels, associated with higher depressive symptoms. The severity of depression showed a significant negative correlation with difficulties in understanding and finding meaning in life and challenges in effectively coping with life's demands (r = -0.626, p < 0.001). The regression analysis revealed that for every one-unit increase in SOC, there was a corresponding decrease of 0.5 units in depressive symptoms. The SOC variable accounted for 39.1% of the variance in depressive symptoms severity.

CONCLUSION

Psychiatric nurses should consider implementing interventions to enhance SOC, such as Life Skills Training (LST), psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mindfulness practices, particularly for depressive disorder clients with a poor sense of coherence.

Differences in predicting athletic burnout and in moderating its relationship with life satisfaction in competitive and leisure athletes

The effects of athletic burnout on life satisfaction vary greatly between individuals, but few studies have examined influencing factors, such as coping mechanisms, that explain these differences. While athletes' performance levels seem to influence the development of burnout symptoms, there is a lack of studies examining different performance levels separately. The present study therefore investigated the predictors of athletic burnout in competitive and leisure athletes separately, as well as possible moderators influencing the relationship between burnout and life satisfaction in these groups. A cross-sectional online study with sport-specific and general questionnaires was conducted. Latent (e.g., resilience) and manifest variables (e.g., stress) were included as predictors of athletic burnout in two structural equation models (competitive: robust RMSEA = 0.065, robust CFI = 0.946; leisure: robust RMSEA = 0.067, robust CFI = 0.937) with data from 422 athletes (Mage = 23.65; range = 16-67; 43% female, 57% male). Additionally, moderation analyses with coping mechanisms as moderators between burnout and life satisfaction were conducted. Results show that predictors of athletic burnout differ between performance levels. Furthermore, there is a significant moderation effect (p < 0.01) for positive self-concept in competitive sports. Approaches for future research and the development of target group-specific interventions are discussed.

A systematic review of individual, social, and societal resilience factors in response to societal challenges and crises

Societal challenges put public mental health at risk and result in a growing interest in resilience as trajectories of good mental health during stressor exposure. Resilience factors represent multilevel psychosocial resources that increase the likelihood of resilient responses. This preregistered systematic review aims at summarizing evidence on the predictive value of individual, social and societal resilience factors for resilient responses to societal challenges and crises. Eligible studies examined the predictive value of resilience factors in stressor-exposed populations in high-income countries by means of multinomial regression models based on growth mixture modeling. Five databases were searched until August 2, 2023. Data synthesis employed a rating scheme to assess the incremental predictive value of resilience factors beyond sociodemographic variables and other resilience factors. An adapted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for risk of bias assessment. Fifty studies (sample sizes: 360-65,818 participants) with moderate study quality reported on various stressors (e.g., pandemics, natural disasters, terrorist attacks). Higher income, socioeconomic status and perceived social support, better emotion regulation and psychological flexibility were related to more resilient responses. The association between resilience factors and resilient responses was stronger in samples with younger mean age and a larger proportion of women. Most studies used non-representative convenience samples and effects were smaller when accounting for sociodemographic variables and other resilience factors. For many factors, findings were mixed, supporting the importance of the fit between resilience factors and situational demands. Research into social and societal resilience factors and multilevel resilience interventions is needed. Preregistration-ID: 10.17605/OSF.IO/GWJVA. Funding source: Robert Koch Institute (ID: LIR_2023_01).

Cultural Dimensions Moderate the Association between Loneliness and Mental Health during Adolescence and Younger Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Cultural factors, such as country or continent, influence the relationship between loneliness and mental health. However, less is known about how cultural dimensions moderate this relationship during adolescence and younger adulthood, even if these dimensions manifest as country or continent differences. This study aims to examine the potential influence of Hofstede's cultural dimensions on this relationship using a three-level meta-analysis approach. A total of 292 studies with 291,946 participants aged 10 to 24 were included in this study. The results indicate that cultural dimensions, such as individualism vs. collectivism, indulgence vs. restraint, power distance, and long-term vs. short-term orientation, moderated the associations between loneliness and social anxiety, stress, Internet overuse, and negative affect. The association between loneliness and mental health was not moderated by cultural dimensions, such as masculinity and uncertainty avoidance. These findings suggest that culture's influence on the association between loneliness and mental health is based on a domain-specific mechanism.

Social support and physical literacy in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension: the mediating effects of sense of coherence and self-efficacy

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing recognition of the importance of social support and physical literacy in managing hypertension among young and middle-aged patients, there is a lack of research exploring the mediating effects of sense of coherence and self-efficacy in this relationship. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the interplay between social support, physical literacy, sense of coherence, and self-efficacy, thus contributing to a deeper understanding of effective interventions for hypertension management.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling to survey 280 young and middle-aged patients diagnosed with hypertension from five community settings in Zhejiang and Anhui provinces between January and February 2024. Measurement instruments included the General Information Questionnaire, Physical Literacy Scale for Young and Middle-aged Patients with Hypertension, Sense of Coherence Scale 13, General self-efficacy Scale, and Perception Social Support Scale. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 28.0, with reporting following the STROBE checklist.

RESULTS

A total of 270 valid questionnaires were collected. The total score of physical literacy for young and middle-aged patients with hypertension ranged from 18 to 90, with a mean score of 62.30 ± 13.92, indicating a moderate level. There was a positive correlation between the physical literacy score and the scores of social support (r = 0.557, P<0.01), sense of coherence (r = 0.392, P<0.01), and self-efficacy (r = 0.466, P<0.01) among young and middle-aged patients with hypertension. Furthermore, social support was found to have multiple mediating effects through sense of coherence and self-efficacy on physical literacy.

CONCLUSION

This study sheds light on the interconnectedness of social support, physical literacy, sense of coherence, and self-efficacy among young and middle-aged patients with hypertension. The findings underscore the importance of considering these factors holistically in hypertension management strategies.

Moderation modelling of COVID-19 digital health literacy and sense of coherence across subjective social class and age among university students in Ghana

BACKGROUND

The study assessed the moderation modelling of digital health literacy and sense of coherence across subjective social class and age among university students in Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A total of 1160 students were conveniently sampled from two universities namely, the University of Education, Winneba and University of Cape Coast, using the descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Preliminary analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, whilst multivariate multiple regression and moderation analyses (Haye's Model) were employed to analyze the main data.

RESULTS

The study revealed that COVID-19 digital health literacy is directly and positively associated with sense of coherence among university students. Further, higher subjective social class positively and strongly moderated the relationship between COVID-19 digital health literacy and sense of coherence among university students. Additionally, the relationship between COVID-19 digital health literacy and sense of coherence was indirectly prominent among relatively older university students than younger ones.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings have implications for university management/authorities and public health agencies to organize effective orientation and self-management training programmes for university students.

The Perceived Stress Scale 2&2: a two-factorial German short version of the Perceived Stress Scale

Background

Stress is among the leading causes for diseases. The assessment of subjectively perceived stress is essential for resilience research. While the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) is a widely used questionnaire, a German short version of the scale is not yet available. In the current study, we developed such a short version using a machine learning approach for item reduction to facilitate the simultaneous optimization of multiple psychometric criteria.

Method

We recruited 1,437 participants from an online panel, who completed the German long version of the PSS along with measures of mental health and resilience. An ant-colony-optimization algorithm was used to select items, taking reliability, and construct validity into account. Findings on validity were visualized by psychological network models.

Results

We replicated a bifactor structure for the long version of the PSS and derived a two-factor German short version of the PSS with four items, the PSS-2&2. Its factors helplessness and self-efficacy showed differential associations with mental health indicators and resilience-related factors, with helplessness being mainly linked to mental distress.

Conclusion

The valid and economic short version of the PSS lends itself to be used in future resilience research. Our findings highlight the importance of the two-factor structure of the PSS short versions and challenge the validity of commonly used one-factor models. In cases where the general stress factor is of interest, researchers should use the longer versions of the PSS that allow for the interpretation of total scores, while the PSS-2&2 allows of an economic assessment of the PSS factors helplessness and self-efficacy.