The development of the 2-Way Social Support Scale: a measure of giving and receiving emotional and instrumental support

Factors associated with health-related quality of life among people with visual impairments living in nursing homes in Armenia: a cross-sectional study

PURPOSE

The study aimed to examine the effect of visual impairment (VI), eye diseases, and other risk factors on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in nursing home residents in Armenia.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study administered an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire to collect information about socio-demographics, chronic diseases, HRQoL, smoking, receiving and giving instrumental/emotional social support, and sleeping disorders among 313 nursing home residents. An ophthalmic examination of the participants was conducted.

RESULTS

The mean age was 72.5 years, ranging from 45.5 to 91.4. Women constituted 50% of the sample. The prevalence of normal vision by presenting visual acuity with available correction was 55.3%, while VI and blindness were present in 40.8% and 3.9%, respectively. Uncorrected refractive error (URE) was found in 20% of participants. The mean HRQoL score was 51.3, ranging from 7.9 to 95.0. In the adjusted analysis, having at least one chronic non-communicable disease, sleeping disorders, eye diseases, URE, VI, blindness, and giving instrumental social support were associated with HRQoL.

CONCLUSIONS

Regular eye care services could improve the eye health and HRQoL of nursing home residents. Interventions addressing vision loss and chronic non-communicable diseases could enhance the functioning and overall well-being of the target population.

The role of social support in human-automation interaction

This theoretical article examines the concept of social support in the context of human-automation interaction, outlining several critical issues. We identified several factors that we expect to influence the consequences of social support and to what extent it is perceived as appropriate (e.g. provider possibilities, recipient expectations), notably regarding potential threats to self-esteem. We emphasise the importance of performance (including extra-role performance) as a potential outcome, whereas previous research has primarily concentrated on health and well-being. We discuss to what extent automation may provide different types of social support (e.g. emotional, instrumental), and how it differs from human support. Finally, we propose a taxonomy of automated support, arguing that source of support is not a binary concept. We conclude that more empirical work is needed to examine the multiple effects of social support for core performance indicators and extra-role performance and emphasise that there are ethical questions involved.

College students' daily mind wandering is related to lower social well-being

Objective: This study sought to examine how daily mind wandering is related to loneliness, felt connection to others, and school belonging among college students. Participants: Three samples (n = 209, n = 173, and n = 266) from two US campuses were recruited. Methods: Data were collected via ecological momentary assessment over the course of two academic quarters in one sample and an academic semester in two samples. Results: Social well-being declined throughout the academic term in all samples. Lower day-to-day mind wandering predicted lower loneliness at the next time point and was concurrently related to a higher felt connection to others and higher school belonging. Thoughts about the past and future were associated with lower social well-being than present-focused thoughts. Conclusions: This study supports the proposition that promoting present-centered attention can benefit college students' social well-being and alleviate their feelings of loneliness and isolation that they often experience.

The relationship between social support and professional identity of health professional students from a two-way social support theory perspective: chain mediating effects of achievement motivation and meaning in life

BACKGROUND

Studies has suggested that receiving social support improves the professional identity of health professional students. According to the two-way social support theory, social support includes receiving social support and giving social support. However, the effect of the two-way social support on health professional students' professional identity has not been clarified yet.

METHODS

To explore the mechanism of how two-way social support affects health professional students' professional identity, an observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience and cluster sample of 1449 health professional students from two medical schools in western China. Measures included a short version of the two-way social support scale, a health professional students' professional identity questionnaire, an achievement motivation scale, and a meaning in life scale. Data were analyzed by use of SPSS26.0 software and PROCESSv4.0 plug-in.

RESULTS

Receiving social support, giving social support, achievement motivation, meaning in life, and professional identity were positively correlated with each other. Receiving and giving social support not only directly predicted health professional students' professional identity, but also indirectly predicted health professional students' professional identity through the mediating roles of achievement motivation and meaning in life, and the chain mediating roles of achievement motivation and meaning in life, respectively. The effectiveness of predicting health professional students' professional identity varied among different types of two-way social support, which could be depicted as two-way social support > mainly giving social support > mainly receiving social support > low two-way social support.

CONCLUSION

In the medical education, the awareness and ability of health professional students to receive and give social support should be strengthened. More attention should be drawn on the chain mediating effect of achievement motivation and meaning in life between two-way social support and professional identity. The current results shed new light on exploring effective ways of improving health professional students' professional identity, which suggested that more attention should be paid to the positive effects of mainly giving social support and two-way social support rather than only on the effects of receiving social support.

The effect of a prosocial environment on health and well-being during the first COVID-19 lockdown and a year later

The outset of the COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by prolonged periods of chronic stress and social isolation. While studies have investigated the changes to well-being (WB) during this period, the impact of the social environment on long-term physical and mental health requires further study. This study aimed to assess the factors influencing WB and health outcomes, with the hypothesis that a positive social environment would play a significant immediate and long-term role in improving WB and preventing the effects of anxiety associated with the pandemic. At time point 1 (April 2020), an Israeli sample of 206 participants (84% female, mean age 31.5) responded to traditional questionnaires assessing mental health and social support. Factors affecting WB were assessed within subjects during the first COVID-19 lockdown for 6 weeks using a daily survey (Beiwe phone application). A year later, in May 2021, at time point 2, the initial questionnaires were readministered to a subset of the same participants (N = 94). We found that anxiety during the first lockdown adversely affected WB and predicted health and WB deterioration a year later. In contrast, a high quality of social relationships was associated with better short- and long-term WB, and mitigated the adverse effects of anxiety. Daily activities, including physical activity, meditation, and romantic relations, were also positively associated with WB during the first lockdown but did not have long-term effects. In summary, our study underscores the enduring health advantages of a positive social environment, particularly during stressful periods. These results have implications for health policymakers: programs which support individuals with high anxiety and low support, by integrating them into community-based interventions, promise to enhance well-being (WB) and health, as well as to fortify the community as a whole.

Psychosocial experiences of involuntary definitive childless women: a comparative study based on reproductive status

STUDY QUESTION

Do involuntary definitive childless women have lower psychosocial adjustment levels than women with infertility diagnoses actively trying to conceive and presumably fertile women?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Involuntary definitive childless women have lower levels of sexual functioning than infertile women actively trying to conceive and presumably fertile women, and higher levels of depression than presumably fertile women.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY

Involuntary definitive childless defines those who wanted to become parents but were unable to do so. Studies have provided evidence about infertility and its psychosocial consequences, but there is a lack of knowledge about the impact of involuntary definitive childlessness, namely on sexual function, social support, marital satisfaction, and psychological adjustment.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION

This associative study was conducted between July 2021 and January 2022 for involuntary definitive childless women and between July 2016 and February 2018 for women with an infertility diagnosis actively trying to conceive as well as presumably fertile women. An online questionnaire announced in social media and gynaecology and fertility clinics was used. The inclusion criteria for all participants were being childless, in a heterosexual relationship and cohabiting for at least 2 years. Specific inclusion criteria for involuntary definitive childless women were: trying to conceive for at least 2 years; not achieving pregnancy because of biological and medical constraints; and not undergoing fertility treatment or being a candidate for adopting a child at time of the study. For women with an infertility diagnosis the inclusion criteria were: actively trying to conceive (naturally or through fertility treatments); having a primary fertility diagnosis; and aged between 22 and 42 years old. For presumably fertile women, the inclusion criteria were: having a parenthood wish in the future; and not knowing of any condition that could prevent them from conceiving.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS

Out of 360 women completing the survey, only 203 were eligible for this study (60 involuntary definitive childless women, 78 women with an infertility diagnosis actively trying to conceive, and 65 presumably fertile women). All participants completed a questionnaire including sociodemographic and clinical data, the Female Sexual Function Index, the 2-Way Social Support Scale, the Relationship Assessment Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess the relation between sexual function, social support, marital satisfaction, anxiety, depression, and reproductive status, adjusting for age, and cohabitation length. Presumably fertile women were used as a reference group.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE

Women were 34.31 years old (SD = 5.89) and cohabited with their partners for 6.55 years (SD = 4.57). The odds ratio (OR) showed that involuntary definitive childless women had significantly lower sexual function than infertile women actively trying to conceive (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.79-0.99) and presumably fertile women (OR = 34.89, 95% CI = 1.98-614.03), and higher depression levels than presumably fertile women (OR = 99.89, 95% CI = 3.29-3037.87). Women with an infertility diagnosis actively trying to conceive did not differ from presumably fertile women in sexual function, social support, marital satisfaction, anxiety, and depression.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION

The majority of childless women underwent fertility treatments, and childlessness for circumstantial reasons owing to lack of a partner was not included, therefore these results may not reflect the experiences of all women with an involuntary childless lifestyle. There was a time gap in the recruitment process, and only the definitive childlessness group filled out the questionnaire after the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. We did not ask participants if they self-identified themselves with the groups' terminology they were assigned to.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS

Our results emphasize the importance of future research to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the adjustment experiences of childless women and an awareness of the poor adjustment they might experience, highlighting the need to keep following women after unsuccessful treatments. Clinical practitioners must attend to these dimensions when consulting involuntary definitive childless women who might not have gone through treatments but also experience these adverse outcomes.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S)

This study was partially supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

N/A.

Integrated effects of nutrition-related, physical, and social factors on frailty among community-dwelling older adults: A 7-year follow-up from the Kashiwa cohort study

AIM

To investigate the impact of nutrition-related, physical, and social factors as well as their transitions on frailty over a 7-year follow-up period among community-dwelling older adults.

METHODS

Participants were 868 non-frail older adults. Frailty was assessed using the Cardiovascular Health Study index. Nutrition-related, physical, and social factors have been defined in our previous study. Cox regression analysis was conducted to investigate the association between the three factors at baseline and new-onset frailty during a 7-year follow-up period. Furthermore, transitions in the three factors over two/three consecutive years and their association with frailty were investigated using lagged generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS

The mean age was 73.8 ± 4.8 years (women, 47.0%), and the incidence of frailty was 12.5% during the 7-year follow-up period. Compared with participants who met the three factors' criteria at baseline, those who met two, one, and none showed associations with greater adjusted hazard ratios of new-onset frailty (1.73, 95% confidence interval 0.87-3.42; 2.04 [1.01-4.12]; and 5.69 [2.82-11.47]). Generalized estimating equation analysis showed that, compared with older adults who maintained all the three criteria met, those who improved the quantity of criteria met, who maintained the less than three criteria met, and who decreased the quantity of criteria met showed (marginally) significant associations with greater adjusted odds ratios of frailty (2.86 [0.88-9.31], 3.70 [1.10-12.45], and 4.75 [1.42-15.85]).

CONCLUSIONS

Practicing and maintaining all three factors in daily life are crucial for frailty prevention. Future research should explore strategies to motivate behavioral modifications in these factors at the population level. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 162-169.

The resounding influence of benevolent childhood experiences

Research with Indigenous communities has demonstrated the detrimental impacts of intergenerational trauma and disproportionate adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on health and behavioral outcomes in adulthood. A more balanced narrative that includes positive childhood experiences is needed. The construct of benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) facilitates assessment of positive early life experiences and their impact on well-being for Indigenous peoples. We consider associations between BCEs and well-being when taking into account ACEs and adult positive experiences. Participants are from Healing Pathways, a longitudinal, community-based panel study with Indigenous families in the Midwestern United States and Canada. Data for the current analyses are derived from 453 participants interviewed at wave 9 of the study. Participants reported high levels of positive childhood experiences in the form of BCEs, with 86.5% of the wave 9 participants reporting experiencing at least six of seven positive indicators. BCEs were positively associated with young adult well-being. This relationship persisted even when accounting for ACEs and adult positive experiences. While ACEs were negatively correlated with young adult well-being, they were not significantly associated with well-being when considering family satisfaction and receiving emotional support. Evidence of high levels of BCEs reflects realities of strong Indigenous families and an abundance of positive childhood experiences.

Measuring the experience of social connection within specific social interactions: The Connection During Conversations Scale (CDCS)

Decades of research have demonstrated that social connection is fundamental to health and well-being. The benefits of connection are observed with both close and distant others, within both new and established relationships, and even with exchanges that unfold over a relatively short timeframe. Because social connection is fundamental to well-being, many existing measures in the literature aim to assess either a global sense of connection or partner-specific (relationship-specific) connection. What is missing are measures of connection felt in specific social interactions or conversations. In three studies (Study 1: N = 351; Study 2: Time 1 N = 397, Time 2 N = 336, Time 3 N = 299; Study 3: N = 235), we developed the Connection During Conversations Scale (CDCS), a 14-item measure of conversation-specific social connection that assesses connection experienced during a social interaction (or conversation). Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that a four-factor model fit our samples well, which resulted in four subscales: Shared Reality, Partner Responsiveness, Participant Interest, and Affective Experience. The overall CDCS measure, along with its four subscales, was significantly correlated with established measures of loneliness, partner responsiveness, relatedness, positivity resonance, and shared reality. Because of the importance of frequent interactions-whether with family, friends, coworkers, or strangers-our new scale will allow researchers to better understand how, when, and where such conversations may contribute to social connection and well-being. (225 words).

Medicine for the soul: (Non)religious identity, coping, and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Although the threat and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant source of distress, using religion to cope may be associated with more positive health. Given the severity and chronicity of the pandemic, religious individuals may also have relied on a variety of non-religious coping methods. Much of the existing COVID-19 research overlooks the role of religious group membership and beliefs in relation to coping responses and associated mental health, with an additional lack of such research within the Canadian context. Thus, this cross-sectional study investigated relations among religiosity, stressor appraisals, (both religious and non-religious) coping strategies, mental and physical health in a religiously-diverse Canadian community sample (N = 280) during the pandemic's 2nd wave from March to June 2021. Numerous differences were apparent in appraisal-coping methods and health across five (non)religious groups (i.e., Atheists, Agnostics, "Spiritual but not religious", Christians, and those considered to be religious "Minorities" in Canada). Religiosity was also associated with better mental health, appraisals of the pandemic as a challenge from which one might learn or grow, and a greater reliance on problem-focused, emotional-engagement, and religious coping. Moreover, both problem-focused and emotional-engagement coping mediated the relations between religiosity and health. Taken together, this research has implications for individual-level coping as well as informing culturally-sensitive public health messages promoting targeted self-care recommendations with integrated religious or spiritual elements during times of threat and uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Navigating Uncertainty: Experiences of Older Adults in Wuhan during the 76-Day COVID-19 Lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the world. Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, underwent a 76-day lockdown. Research has indicated that the lockdown negatively impacted the quality of life of older individuals, but little is known about their specific experiences during the confinement period. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 elderly residents of Wuhan, aged 65 to 85, who experienced mandatory isolation throughout the pandemic. The interviews centered around three stages of experiences: the Early Lockdown stage (the first week of lockdown after the government implemented the lockdown policy in January 2020), Infection During Lockdown stage (from February to April 2020 when participants were affected by the lockdown), and the Post-Lockdown stage (after April 2020 when the government lifted the lockdown policy). We found that older adults experienced different core themes during each lockdown stage. In the Early Lockdown stage, they felt nervousness and fear while searching for information. During the Lockdown and Infection Stage, they relied on reciprocal support and adjusted to new lifestyles. In the Post-Lockdown stage, they expressed cautions, trust, and gratitude. The finding highlights the evolving emotions and coping strategies of older adults throughout the lockdown phases. This study has yielded valuable insights into the adaptations of behavior and the importance of social interactions, specifically emphasizing the significance of healthcare among the elderly population.

Influencing factors of two-way social support for the old adults in China: A cross-sectional study

This study aims to investigate the status and influencing factors of two-way social support among old adults. A cross-sectional study of 408 convenient samples of old adults was conducted using socio-demographic questionnaire, Brief 2-Way Social Support Scale, Modified Barthel index, General Well-being Schedule, Family APGAR Index, and Lubben Social Network Scale 6. The two-way social support score for old adults in China was (43.74±7.86), with the receiving and giving social support scoring (22.80±4.06) and (20.94±4.52), respectively. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that family care, residence place, socioeconomic status, and social network were associated with both receiving and giving social support. Chronic diseases and religious beliefs were related to receiving social support, while gender, general well-being, and residence form were related to giving social support. Tailored interventions based on the distinct influencing factors are needed to enhance old adults' social support both as recipients and providers.

Comparing post-traumatic stress severity in professional and volunteer Australian firefighters

BACKGROUND

While extensive research has highlighted increased risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in firefighters, previous research has yielded mixed results regarding the role of work status (professional versus volunteer) in the development of psychopathological symptoms.

AIMS

To explore the predictive strength of work status on PTSD or post-traumatic stress symptom severity in a large sample of professional (PFFs) and volunteer (VFFs) Australian firefighters exposed to operational work-related trauma.

METHODS

The stratified random sample comprised 1317 PFFs (n = 1148 (87%) males and 13%, n = 169 (13%) females) and 898 VFFs (n = 744 (83%) males and n = 154 (17%) females) who reported having experienced trauma while working or volunteering. Participants completed demographic, health and work-related questions and mental health measures of stress, trauma, PTSD, social support and use of mental health prevention programmes.

RESULTS

The results revealed a significant relationship between work status and PTSD, with PFFs reporting higher levels of PTSD symptom severity compared to VFFs. This association persisted after controlling for demographics, health, stress away from work, social support and use of organizational mental health support programmes (debriefing and face-to-face training for mental and physical self-care).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests the importance of work status in PTSD amongst Australian firefighters exposed to operational trauma. Future research is needed to substantiate our findings and examine why PFFs may be more prone to developing PTSD. Implications for the provision of mental health programmes offered by fire organizations to their members are discussed.

The association between social support provision, psychological capital, subjective well-being and sense of indebtedness among undergraduates with low socioeconomic status

BACKGROUND

Social support consists of receipt and provision in the interpersonal exchange process. Many studies have explored and verified the effect of received social support. This study focuses on whether and when social support provision can benefit the providers' positive psychological capital and subjective well-being.

METHODS

A sample of 732 Chinese undergraduates with low socioeconomic status completed questionnaires on social support provision, psychological capital, life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, and sense of indebtedness.

RESULTS

The correlation and regression analyses showed that impoverished college students' social support provision was positively associated with life satisfaction, positive affect, and psychological capital and negatively associated with negative affect. The interaction between the sense of indebtedness and social support provision was negatively associated with life satisfaction, positive affect, and psychological capital, not significantly associated with negative affect.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrated that giving social support can be as beneficial as receiving social support, and the sense of indebtedness can limit the benefits. Individuals with a lower sense of indebtedness are more likely to benefit from social support provision. The findings have implications for marginalized groups' subjective well-being and positive psychological capital and show the necessity of guiding individuals to provide social support while maintaining their autonomy.

Health-Related Quality of Life after Cataract Surgery in Armenia: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Cataract surgery helps to enhance visual function and improve the quality of life of cataract patients. The present study assessed visual outcomes and explored health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and factors associated with it following cataract surgery in Armenia. An interviewer-administered survey along with the ophthalmologic examination was conducted among 248 patients. It explored socio-demographic characteristics, use of eye care services, smoking status, comorbidities, and receiving and giving social support. A Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to measure HRQoL. Simple and multivariable linear regression was used for the analysis. About 72.8% of examined eyes had good visual outcomes, while 17.7% had borderline outcomes. Poor visual outcomes were detected in 9.5% of the eyes. The mean composite SF-36 score for physical health was 50.8, while the mean composite score for mental health was 49.9. Gender, socioeconomic status, having a non-communicable disease, and receiving and giving tangible social support were significantly associated with SF-36 physical component in the adjusted analysis, while the variables which demonstrated significant association with the mental component included socioeconomic status, having a non-communicable disease, and giving tangible support. The visual outcome after cataract surgery in Armenian patients is below WHO-recommended standards. The quality of ophthalmological surgical care should be monitored to maximize the visual outcome in Armenian patients, with a focus on women, patients with poor socioeconomic status, and those with non-communicable diseases.

Associations between psychosocial factors and circulating cytokines in breast cancer survivors

OBJECTIVE

Research has established links between social isolation and heightened levels of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumour necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α]). Recent advances allow for the examination of cytokines that may also play a role in antiviral immunity (interferon-gamma [IFN-γ]). The present work explored how various features of social experience relate to circulating cytokines in breast cancer survivors, as inflammation has been tied to cancer recurrence and mortality.

DESIGN

Female breast cancer survivors (N = 43) completed a blood draw to assess circulating levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) and levels of a cytokine that also relates to antiviral immunity (IFN-γ).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

We examined associations between cytokines and different aspects of social experience, including household size, psychosocial well-being, and social threat anxiety.

RESULTS

Circulating levels of IFN-γ were associated with larger household size (r = 0.32, p = 0.04) and higher levels of psychosocial well-being (r = 0.33, p = 0.04). Additionally, heightened levels of IL-6 were associated with social threat anxiety (r = 0.38, p = 0.01). Heightened IL-6 was also associated with household size (r = 0.33, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

These findings are consistent with work suggesting that antiviral immunity and inflammation may have distinct contributions to the links between social experience and health, particularly for those previously diagnosed with breast cancer.

Distress among undergraduates: Marginality, stressors and resilience resources

Objective: This study addresses mental health concerns among university students, examining cumulative stress exposure as well as resilience resources. Participants: Participants were 253 first- and second-year undergraduate students (age = 18.76; 49.80% male, 69% students of color) enrolled at a large western US university. Methods: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional online survey examining marginalized statuses and multiple stressors alongside coping responses, adaptive self-concept, and social support as predictors of stress, anxiety, and depression. Results: Multivariate regressions demonstrated significant associations between stress exposures and lower levels of resilience resources with each mental health indicator (with substantial R2 of.49-.60). Although stressor exposures accounted for significant increases in mental health concerns, their exploratory power was attenuated by resilience resources (e.g., beta decreases from.25 to.16). Conclusions: Better understanding cumulative adversity/resilience resource profiles, particularly among marginalized students, can help universities in prioritizing institutional support responses toward prevention and mitigating psychological distress.

Sleep and Healthy Aging Research on Depression (SHARE-D) randomized controlled trial: Protocol overview of an experimental model of depression with insomnia, inflammation, and affect mechanisms in older adults

Depression, one of the most common diseases in older adults, carries significant risk for morbidity and mortality. Because of the burgeoning population of older adults, the enormous burden of late-life depression, and the limited efficacy of current antidepressants in older adults, biologically plausible models that translate into selective depression prevention strategies are needed. Insomnia predicts depression recurrence and is a modifiable target to prevent incident and recurrent depression in older adults. Yet, it is not known how insomnia gets converted into biological- and affective risk for depression, which is critical for identification of molecular targets for pharmacologic interventions, and for refinement of insomnia treatments that target affective responding to improve efficacy. Sleep disturbance activates inflammatory signaling and primes immune responses to subsequent inflammatory challenge. In turn, inflammatory challenge induces depressive symptoms, which correlate with activation of brain regions implicated in depression. This study hypothesizes that insomnia serves as a vulnerability factor for inflammation-related depression; older adults with insomnia will show heightened inflammatory- and affective responding to inflammatory challenge as compared to those without insomnia. To test this hypothesis, this protocol paper describes a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study of low dose endotoxin in older adults (n = 160; 60-80 y) with insomnia vs. comparison controls without insomnia. The aims of this study are to examine differences in depressive symptoms, measures of negative affective responding, and measures of positive affective responding as a function of insomnia and inflammatory challenge. If the hypotheses are confirmed, older adults with two "hits", insomnia and inflammatory activation, would represent a high risk group to be prioritized for monitoring and for depression prevention efforts using treatments that target insomnia or inflammation. Moreover, this study will inform the development of mechanism-based treatments that target affect responses in addition to sleep behaviors, and which might also be coupled with efforts to reduce inflammation to optimize efficacy of depression prevention.

Predictors of Adolescent Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Community Sample of Hispanic and Latinx Youth: Expressive Suppression and Social Support

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruptions in the daily lives and mental health of adolescents. Less attention has been given to the psychosocial resources that may mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent mental health, particularly among minoritized populations. In the present study, 259 youth (aged 11-18) were recruited from a community center for integrated prevention and intervention services in a predominantly Latinx and Hispanic community. Youth completed questionnaires about the impact COVID-19 has had on their lives, psychosocial resources (humor, optimism, emotion regulation, social support), and psychiatric symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, sleep disturbances, aggression). After accounting for age, sex, and exposure to early life adversity, higher reported COVID-19 impact was associated with more depressive symptoms, b = 6.37 (SE = 1.67), 95% CI [3.08, 9.66], p < 0.001, more anxiety symptoms, b = 9.97 (SE = 1.63), 95% CI [6.75, 13.18], p < 0.001, and more sleep disturbances, b = 1.24 (SE = 0.34), 95% CI [0.57, 1.91], p < 0.001. Youth that reported infrequent expressive suppression and the lowest scores on giving social support were at the greatest risk for aggressive behavior in the context of high COVID-19 impact, ps < 0.007. Increasing emotion regulation skills, such as expressive suppression, and opportunities to give social support may promote resilience among high risk youth in the context of this ongoing community stressor.

Psychometric properties of the Social Support Scale (SSS) in two Aboriginal samples

In Australia, despite social support increasingly being reported as playing an important role in influencing health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, measures of social support have not yet been validated for Aboriginal people. The current study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Social Support Scale in an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander population. The Social Support Scale (SSS) is a 4-item psychological instrument that was designed to evaluate four social support functions, instrumental, informational, emotional and appraisal support. Data included participants from two different samples: (1) Teeth Talk Study (n = 317), an oral-health randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted with Aboriginal adults; and (2) the South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort Study (n = 367), a prospective longitudinal birth cohort study in which pregnant Aboriginal women were interviewed at baseline. The SSS psychometric properties were examined with Graphical Loglinear Rasch Models (GLLRM). The overall fit to a GLLRM was established (χ2(96)sample1 = 52.7, p = 0.06; χ2(25)sample2 = 22.2, p = 0.62) after accounting for local dependence between items 3 and 4. Item 2 displayed differential item functioning by employment status in Sample 1. Regarding dimensionality, the SSS was unidimensional in both samples (γobs1 = 0.80; γexp1 = 0.78, p = 0.65; γobs2 = 0.75, γexp2 = 0.77, p = 0.16). The instrument also displayed good reliability (Rsample1 = 0.82, Rsample2 = 0.84). Despite a few identified limitations (such as poor targeting), the findings indicated that the SSS is a promising instrument to provide culturally-valid and reliable measurement of social support among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander adults. Future studies should further investigate the instrument psychometric properties in other Aboriginal samples and the development and inclusion of culturally-sensitive items are also recommended.

Ehealth and lifestyle change: The mediating roles of social support and patient empowerment

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of eHealth, the use of information and communications technologies to improve or enable health and health care, on lifestyle behaviors through social support and patient empowerment as serial mediators.

Methods

We conducted an anonymous online survey of 29 items in October 2019 to assess Chinese people's eHealth activities (i.e. engaging in online health-related activities), social support (including emotional and instrumental support) and patient empowerment, for a lifestyle change. A total of 681 respondents aged 18 or above (49.9% males) with an average age of 30.8 completed the survey.

Results

Social support (including emotional and instrumental support) and patient empowerment were found to be salient mediators between eHealth and lifestyle behaviors. Specifically, engaging in eHealth activities can improve both perceived emotional support and instrumental support from care networks, of which both would increase patient empowerment, which subsequently prompted healthy lifestyle behaviors (β = .01, confidence interval (CI): [.003, .013] for emotional support as the first mediator; β < .01, CI: [.003, .010] for instrumental support as the first mediator). However, the results showed that engaging in eHealth activities was not directly associated with a healthy lifestyle (β = .01, p = .65).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that eHealth is effective and useful to drive people into action to develop healthy lifestyle behaviors. Particularly, by providing multiple potential sources of social support, eHealth will promote both emotional support and instrumental support, which is vital to increase patient empowerment, and eventually leads to healthy lifestyle behaviors.

Perceived social support and college student engagement: moderating effects of a grateful disposition on the satisfaction of basic psychological needs as a mediator

BACKGROUND

Previous research has examined the role of support provided by the workplace in promoting employee engagement. This study aimed to extend this research to the academic environment by testing a proposed model of the relationship between perceived social support and student engagement and its underlying mechanisms, with the latter involving the satisfaction of basic psychological needs and a grateful disposition.

METHODS

A total of 622 Chinese college students were selected by convenience sampling. I adopted the Perceived Social Support Scale, Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale, Gratitude Questionnaire, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student to collect their responses. The data were analyzed by using a moderated mediation model with SPSS and the Process 4.0 macro.

RESULTS

The results showed that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs played a mediating role in the association between perceived social support and student engagement, while a grateful disposition played a moderating role. The moderating mediation model further revealed that this effect was more robust for students with a higher grateful disposition than for those with a lower level.

CONCLUSION

Perceived social support can significantly and positively predict student engagement through the satisfaction of their basic psychological needs. Students with a high grateful disposition benefit more than those with a low grateful disposition from using social support, as well as can use the received social support fully in order to meet their psychological needs and promote academic engagement.

Is Loneliness Associated With Celebrity Attraction in LGBT+ Persons?

The present study is a conceptual replication of the functional alternative hypothesis, which states that when it is difficult for some persons to form satisfactory interpersonal relationships they turn to parasocial relationships as a functional alternative. In this study, the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS), a one-item measure of interest in celebrities in general, the Five-item Adaptation of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (FALS), and the Receiving Emotional Support Subscale (RESS) were administered to 222 self-identified LGBT+ and 436 self-identified heterosexual persons from the Philippines aged 18 to 77 years old. We hypothesized that sexual orientation would moderate the relationship between loneliness and celebrity worship, such that the association between loneliness and celebrity worship would be stronger among LGBT+ individuals than among heterosexual individuals. This hypothesis was confirmed when the target person was one's favorite celebrity. Second, we hypothesized that lower levels of perceived social support among LGBT+ Filipinos would be associated with a stronger correlation between loneliness and celebrity worship as compared to LGBT+ Filipinos with a higher level of social support. Third, we hypothesized that younger LGBT+ persons would have a stronger association between loneliness and celebrity worship as compared to older LGBT+ persons. Results failed to confirm the social support and age hypotheses. The findings and limitations were discussed, and suggestions for further research were noted.

Assessment Tools of Biopsychosocial Frailty Dimensions in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Narrative Review

Frailty is a complex interplay between several factors, including physiological changes in ageing, multimorbidities, malnutrition, living environment, genetics, and lifestyle. Early screening for frailty risk factors in community-dwelling older people allows for preventive interventions on the clinical and social determinants of frailty, which allows adverse events to be avoided. By conducting a narrative review of the literature employing the International Narrative Systematic Assessment tool, the authors aimed to develop an updated framework for the main measurement tools to assess frailty risks in older adults, paying attention to use in the community and primary care settings. This search focused on the biopsychosocial domains of frailty that are covered in the SUNFRAIL tool. The study selected 178 reviews (polypharmacy: 20; nutrition: 13; physical activity: 74; medical visits: 0; falls: 39; cognitive decline: 12; loneliness: 15; social support: 5; economic constraints: 0) published between January 2010 and December 2021. Within the selected reviews, 123 assessment tools were identified (polypharmacy: 15; nutrition: 15; physical activity: 25; medical visits: 0; falls: 26; cognitive decline: 18; loneliness: 9; social support: 15; economic constraints: 0). The narrative review allowed us to evaluate assessment tools of frailty domains to be adopted for multidimensional health promotion and prevention interventions in community and primary care.

Implications of providing social support to close network members on the social well-being of older people in Kitui County, Kenya

Social support is a strong predictor of social well-being. Older people are key providers of social support to others, but an overemphasis on received social support in gerontological literature portrays them as mere recipients. We examined the association between social support provided by older people and its influence on their social well-being. Data were collected from 369 respondents residing in rural dwellings in Kitui County using mixed methods and were analyzed for association using chi-square statistics. Instrumental, emotional, and information support provision was determined by asking four questions in each category about whether the respondents provided social support to close network members. The subjective experience of support provision using a satisfaction question for each domain of social support was used to determine the influence of providing social support on the social well-being of older people. Provision of social support across the three domains was found to be significantly associated with social well-being. The level of statistical significance was highest for emotional and information support compared to instrumental support. Older people are important providers of social support. The majority of those who provided social support reported being satisfied. Therefore, offering social support, especially emotional and information support, is an important contributor to satisfaction with these aspects of social well-being.

Psychological Network of Stress, Coping and Social Support in an Aboriginal Population

Over the past decades, increasing research interest has been directed towards the psychosocial factors that impact Aboriginal health, including stress, coping and social support. However, there has been no study that examined whether the behaviours, cognitions and emotions related to stress, coping and social support constitute a psychological network in an Aboriginal population and that examined its properties. To address this gap, the current study employed a new methodology, network psychometrics, to evaluate stress, coping and social support in an Aboriginal Australian population. This study conducted a secondary analysis of the South Australian Aboriginal Birth Cohort (SAABC) study, a randomised controlled trial in South Australia, which included 367 pregnant Aboriginal women at study baseline. The Gaussian Graphical Model was estimated with least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Node centrality was evaluated with eigencentrality, strength and bridge centrality. Network communities were investigated with the walktrap algorithm. The findings indicated that stress, coping and social support constituted a connected psychological network in an Aboriginal population. Furthermore, at the centre of the network were the troubles experienced by the Aboriginal pregnant women, bridging their perceptions of stress and coping and constituting a potential target for future interventions.

The Work Interevention Network (WIN): Foundations of a Holistic Vocational Intervention

The aim of the current study was to examine whether the key constructs targeted in the Work Intervention Network (WIN) intervention uniquely predicted well-being outcomes and mediated relations between un/underemployment and these outcomes. Using data from a sample of 462 adults in the U.S., we positioned employment status as a predictor of life satisfaction, well-being, and psychological distress. We also tested four mediators of these relations that operationalized targets in the WIN intervention – career engagement, social support, self-care, and self-blame. Employment status indirectly predicted life satisfaction, life meaning, and psychological distress via self-care and self-blame. Career engagement mediated the relation between employment status and psychological distress but in an unexpected direction. Social support was not directly predicted by employment status but predicted life satisfaction and life meaning. Results provided initial support for the WIN intervention and corroborate the contention that employment status is an important predictor of well-being.

Setting up a new team of support staff for people with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning and severe challenging behaviour: A concept mapping study

BACKGROUND

Studies about teams of staff supporting people with intellectual disability have focused on team performance of existing teams. This study aimed to examine important factors in the process of setting up a new team of support staff. Specifically, we considered the process for a team that supports service users with mild intellectual disability or borderline intellectual functioning who display severe challenging behaviour from the orthopedagogical perspective (i.e., with a focus on contextual factors).

METHOD

Three participant groups (service users, support staff, and professionals supporting a team) participated in a concept mapping procedure, including generating statements in interviews and focus groups, sorting, and rating. An expert group interpreted the results.

RESULTS

Important factors to one or more groups were: service users and support staff getting acquainted early, team safety, social support, a shared vision, and a positive reputation of the new home.

CONCLUSIONS

Four core outcomes were addressed that may help service organisations to provide an environment matching the needs of service users who show severe challenging behaviour from the start.

Adolescent-Adult Social Networks and Experiences of Violence Among Black Youth in Neighborhoods With High Levels of Community Violence

PURPOSE

Adult support is inversely linked to health-affecting risk behaviors. This study aimed to describe adolescent-adult support network structure and quality, and to analyze associations among network properties, strength of emotional and instrumental support, and violence involvement among predominantly Black youth residing in neighborhoods with high levels of community violence.

METHODS

One hundred six youth from urban neighborhoods with high levels of community violence in Pittsburgh, PA completed egocentric social network surveys describing adult supports, measures of support across contexts, and past 30-day violence perpetration, victimization, and witnessing. Forty youth-identified adults completed complementary social network surveys. Poisson regression examined associations among strength of social support, adults' violence experiences, and youths' violence experiences.

RESULTS

Mean youth participant age was 16.7 years, 56% self-identified as female, and 84% as Black or African-American. Youth and adult participants reported high levels of violence exposure and involvement. Youth identified a mean of 4.8 adult supports. Identifying at least one immediate family member in their network was inversely related to violence perpetration (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR] 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.22-0.89), victimization (aIRR 0.42, 95% CI 0.25-0.72), and witnessing (aIRR 0.48, 95% CI 0.35-0.64). The percent of adult supports involved in violence was directly associated with violence perpetration (aIRR 1.81, 95% CI 1.07-3.07), victimization (aIRR 1.95, 95% CI 1.09-3.45), and witnessing (aIRR 1.85, 95% CI 1.25-2.73). Few associations emerged between the structure of youth-reported adolescent-adult social networks and violence.

DISCUSSION

Network-based interventions combined with healing-centered services attuned to violence experiences among Black youth and their adult supports may offer opportunities to leverage youths' existing adult support network and reduce violence.

Difficulties in emotion and social support in people with epilepsy: relationship with depression levels

Amaç: Bu çalışmada epilepsili bireylerde depresyon düzeyi ile duygu düzenleme güçlükleri ve sosyal destek arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemeyi amaçladık. Gereç ve Yöntem: Fokal epilepsi tanısı ile takip edilmekte olan hastalara Nörolojik Bozukluklarda Depresyon Ölçeği-Epilepsi (NDDI-E), Duygu Düzenleme Güçlükleri Ölçeği (DDGÖ) ve İki Yönlü Sosyal Destek Ölçeği (2-YSDÖ) verilmiştir. Bulgular: Çalışmaya 109 hasta dahil edilmiştir. Hastaların %25’inde depresyon saptanmıştır. Depresyonu olan olguların DDGÖ median değeri 45 (28-55), depresyon saptanmayan grubun ise 24 (18-33,5)’dür. Depresyonu olan grubun DDGÖ skorunun depresyonu olmayan gruba kıyasla anlamlı derecede yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Tüm çalışma popülasyonunda yapılan 2-YSDÖ (92 (69,5-102,5)) ve DDGÖ (27 (19-41)) skorlarının korelasyon analizinde sosyal destek ve duygu düzenleme güçlükleri arasında negatif bir ilişki mevcuttur. Regresyon analizine göre ise duygu düzenleme güçlükleri depresyonun ana belirleyicisidir ve depresyonu %16,8 oranında açıklamaktadır. Sonuç: Epilepsili bireylerde duygu düzenleme güçlükleri depresyonun ana belirleyicilerinden biridir ve yetersiz sosyal destek duygu düzenleme güçlükleri ile ilişkilidir. Epilepsili bireylerde depresyon sıklığını azaltmak için duygu düzenleme stratejilerini güçlendirecek rehabilitasyon programlarına ihtiyaç vardır.

Family social support and stability of preferences regarding place of death among older people: a 3-year longitudinal study from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study

BACKGROUND

it remains unclear how family relationships could affect stability of end-of-life care preferences.

OBJECTIVE

to describe change patterns of preferred place of death (POD) among older people and to examine associations between family social support and stability of preferences regarding POD.

METHODS

this longitudinal study of 1,200 noninstitutionalized independent Japanese older people aged over 65 years used panel data between 2016 and 2019 from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES). Preference stability was defined as the congruence of preferred POD based on questionnaires between baseline and follow-up. We performed multiple logistic regression analysis and gender-stratified analysis to examine associations between social support (spouse, children living together and children living apart) and preference stability.

RESULTS

only 40.9% of participants had stable preferences. For a spouse, both receiving and providing social support was associated with less stable preferences (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.93; OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.38-0.80, respectively), and providing social support to children living apart was associated with more stable preferences (OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03-1.76). In gender-stratified analysis, significant associations between preference stability and providing social support to a spouse among women (OR: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.34-0.82) and providing social support to children living apart among men (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.16-2.55) were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

family social support was associated with the stability of preferences, and the associations differed by support resources and gender. Incorporating family members in the process of end-of-life care discussion may be necessary for establishing stable preferences.

Unexpected changes in birth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for maternal mental health

PURPOSE

This study examined the rates of unexpected birth experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with women's postpartum mental health symptoms (depression, generalized anxiety, and PTSD).

METHODS

Our cross-sectional analysis included postpartum women (N = 506) who reported on birth plan changes attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic through the PEACE (Perinatal Experiences and COVID-19 Effects) Study, an online survey that took place between May 2020 and May 2021. Covariates included sociodemographic variables, number of days since the pandemic, pre-pregnancy mental health history, and protective factors such as social support, distress tolerance, and resilience.

RESULTS

Prevalent COVID-19 pandemic changes in the birth experience included not having support people (e.g., partners and friends) permitted to participate in the baby's delivery (33.5%), reduced access to preferred medications before or after delivery (9.7%), unavailable health care providers for the baby's birth as planned (9.6%), and other changes (13.8%). The reduced access to medications was associated with those reporting higher levels of depressive (β = .10, p < .01) and PTSD symptoms (β = .07, p < .05). Separation from their baby for a long period after delivery (β = .10, p < .05) and other changes (β = .10, p < .01) were associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Unexpected changes to the birth experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic may have small but persistent effects on depressive and PTSD symptoms. Given increased vigilance and its association with subsequent PTSD, acknowledging any fear of viral contagion within the hospital setting but informing women the plans for ensuring safety may be preventive for later mental health symptomatology.

Associations of Nutrition-Related, Physical, and Social Factors and Their Combinations with Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Kashiwa Cohort Study

Background: Sarcopenia is a major cause of frailty, which relates to nutrition-related, physical, and social factors. In this study, we aimed to discuss the cross-sectional association of sarcopenia with the above three factors both individually and comprehensively. Methods: Overall, 1257 older adults (≥65 years old) participated in this study. Sarcopenia was determined via the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria. The independent variables for nutrition-related, physical, and social factors and especially their criteria for health condition were defined separately. Binomial logistic regression analysis was carried out to testify the associations of sarcopenia with three factors individually and in combination. Results: The mean age was 74.6 (±5.5), and women were 47.7%. Sarcopenia prevalence was 7.5%. Participants who did not meet the criteria of nutritional health, physical fitness, or social robustness independently had significant associations with a higher adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of sarcopenia or its indices of lower grip strength, muscle mass, or gait speed. In comparison to participants meeting three criteria, those who met two, one, or none showed (marginally) significant association with increased aOR for sarcopenia (aOR (95% confidence interval)): two: 1.97 (0.84–4.64); one: 2.35 (1.00–5.23); none: 5.52 (2.30–13.23). Conclusions: Comprehensive countermeasures with the above three factors are indispensable for sarcopenia prevention.

Factors associated with instrumental support in transitional care among older people with chronic disease: a cross-sectional study

Background

Instrumental support, which is defined as practical, tangible, and informational assistance extended to patients, is crucial for older people in transition. However, little is known about instrumental support in transitional care. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the instrumental support of older people in transitional care.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted using the Questionnaire of Instrumental Support in Transitional Care (QISCT) to collect data from 747 older people in China from September to November 2020. Survey items consisted of a sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire and the QISCT. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between independent variables and the QISCT scores.

Results

The total score of the QISCT was 39.43 (± 9.11), and there was a significant gap between the anticipated support and received support. The satisfaction of instrumental support was low. Multiple regression analyses showed that educational level, the number of intimate relationships, monthly family income, monthly costs of transitional care, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were associated with instrumental support in transitional care.

Conclusions

To cope with the burden caused by chronic disease, the government and transitional care teams should establish a demand-oriented transitional care service model and pay more attention to helping older people obtain adequate and satisfactory instrumental support.

"Net" value co-creation: The effect of interactions on consumer citizenship behavior in online travel communities

Online traveling community is initiated by companies, but its survival is inextricably linked to consumer citizenship behavior (e.g., out-group recommendation, in-group helping, and inward response). The majority of researches have investigated consumer behavior of brand community such as consumer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and purchase intention. A few scholars try to explore consumer behaviors beyond the purchase, like participation, which was concerned as the value co-creation. However, the value co-creation of the community should depend on consumers' citizenship behaviors instead of their pure participation. Therefore, this study empirically examines the effect of consumer interaction on consumer psychology and citizenship behaviors of the online travel community. The findings demonstrated that consumer interaction facilitated participants' self-identity and their perceived social support, which enhanced their community identification and thus their citizenship behaviors. Furthermore, the motivation of participation plays a moderator in this process. Specifically, symbolic motivation moderates the relationship between consumer interaction and their self-identity, while utilitarian motivation moderates the effect of consumer interaction on their perceived social support. These findings contributed to the intervention of consumer citizenship behavior in online traveling community and provide insights into the management of the online travel community from the perspective of the value co-creation.

Religiosity and COVID-19: Impact on Use of Remote Worship and Changes in Self-Reported Social Support

Objective: This study examines associations between changes in the use of remote worship services and changes in the types of social support among religious adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional, web survey data (n = 461; 15 May to 6 July 2020) were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multinomial logistic regression models calculated unadjusted odds of increases and decreases of three types of perceived social support from before to during COVID-19 based on remote worship use. Results: Adults who initiated use of remote worship had lower odds of gaining social support for personal problems (OR: 0.38; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.79) and greater odds of reporting less ease of getting practical help from neighbors (OR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.02) compared to adults who never used or stopped using remote worship. Adults who continued using remote worship services were more likely to report less ease of getting practical help from their neighbors (OR: 2.23; 95% CI: 1.17, 4.25) and decreased interest and concern felt from other people (OR: 2.62; 95% CI: 1.24, 5.51) than adults who never used or stopped using remote worship. Conclusions: Adults who initiated and continued using remote worship during the COVID-19 pandemic had poorer perceived social support outcomes relative to adults who never used or stopped using remote services. Despite continued engagement with their religious communities, adults participating in worship remotely may have had residual personal, emotional, and instrumental social support needs that remote worship did not mitigate.

Multidimensional measure of instrumental support in transitional care - design and pilot test of a questionnaire assessing instrumental support among older adults with chronic diseases

Background

Previous studies indicated that poor quantity and quality of instrumental support are one of the main barriers in the application of transitional care. Instrumental support, as one common function of social support, is the provision of financial assistance, material goods, or services. The purpose of our study is to develop an Instrumental Support in Transitional Care Questionnaire (ISTCQ) and use this questionnaire to make an assessment among older adults with chronic diseases.

Methods

The draft questionnaire was examined by 18 experts from different professional fields performing three rounds of content validity testing with the Delphi method. Afterward, we conducted a pilot test recruiting 174 participants as a convenience sample in Nantong, China. The construct validity was confirmed via exploratory factor analysis and reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha.

Results

The authority coefficient of experts was 0.74–0.99 and Kendall harmony coefficient W was 0.381. The exploratory factor analysis indicated that the questionnaire can be interpreted by three factors: namely, anticipated support (items 1, 2, 3, 4), received support (items 5, 6, 7, 8) and support satisfaction (items 9, 10, 11, 12). These three factors (eigenvalues > 1 and factor loading > 0.4) explained 69.128% of the total variance. Furthermore, the calculation of Cronbach's alpha and test–retest reliability have shown good reliability among each dimension of the 12-item questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha 0.711–0.827, test–retest reliability 0.704–0.818).

Conclusion

Results from the pilot test demonstrated excellent reliability and validity of ISTCQ through each dimension and as an entire.

How nurse preceptors provide help to new nurses influences perceived relationship quality

BACKGROUND

In many hospitals, newly-hired registered nurses (RNs) enter into preceptorships, where they are paired with more experienced nurse preceptors who are responsible for ensuring effective transition to practice. Although high-quality relationships between preceptors and newly-hired nurses facilitate nurses' learning and integration into their medical institutions, preceptors have little guidance for what tactics develop such relationships.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether the type of help provided by preceptors (i.e., autonomous or dependent help) influences preceptees' evaluations of relationship quality and psychological safety with their preceptor. Furthermore, we investigate the role of instrumental support and emotional support as explanatory mechanisms.

DESIGN/SETTINGS/PARTICIPANTS/METHODS

Convenience sampling was used to collect data via a cross-sectional survey of 217 in-patient RNs hired between June 2016 and May 2018 to a magnet hospital within the Southwestern United States. Recently hired nurses evaluated their preceptor's help-giving tendencies, and reported on their perceived support, relationship quality and feelings of psychological safety with their preceptor.

RESULTS

Dependent help was positively related to instrumental support. Conversely, autonomous help was positively related to both relationship quality and psychological safety, and these relationships were partially mediated by perceived instrumental support and emotional support.

CONCLUSION

Findings illustrate the multiple benefits of autonomous help for encouraging high-quality relationships between preceptors and preceptees. This study identifies autonomous help-giving as a useful tactic for nurse preceptors (or other organizational insiders, such as mentors or supervisors) to establish high-quality relationships with recently hired nurses.

Prenatal distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: clinical and research implications

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to identify risk and protective factors related to general prenatal distress and COVID-19-specific prenatal distress to inform intervention targets among women pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

The study relied on data obtained from U.S. pregnant women (N = 701) who participated in the Perinatal Experiences and COVID-19 Effects (PEACE) Study from May 21 to October 3, 2020. The present cross-sectional study examined the potential risk and protective factors associated with different features of prenatal distress among U.S. pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

Approximately two-thirds of expectant mothers indicated being more stressed about going to the hospital because of COVID-19. Generalized anxiety and PTSD were associated with higher levels of general and COVID-19-specific prenatal distress. Depression symptoms were associated with higher general prenatal distress. Higher levels of distress tolerance were associated with lower levels of general prenatal distress (B = - 0.192, p < .001) and COVID-19-specific prenatal distress (B = - 0.089, p < .05). Higher levels of instrumental social support were marginally associated with lower COVID-19-specific prenatal distress (B = - 0.140, p < 0.1).

CONCLUSION

Findings draw attention to prenatal distress experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, including new types of distress arising from the pandemic itself. Women might benefit from the introduction of interventions such as mindfulness-based or relaxation therapy. Coverage of responsibilities and financial assistance is particularly needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Limitations include a majority White and high socioeconomic sample. These findings provide specificity regarding potential targets for addressing prenatal distress.

Translation and Initial Validation of the Chinese (Cantonese) Brief 2-Way Social Support Scale for Use in People with Chronic Stroke

Background. Social support is important for stroke rehabilitation. Conventionally, social support is evaluated from the level of support received. However, the bidirectional support hypothesis postulated that self-perceived social support is optimized if individuals provide and receive social support in a balanced manner. The Brief 2-Way Social Support Scale (Brief 2-Way SSS) is a social support instrument measuring the reciprocity of receiving and giving emotional and instrumental social support. Objective. (1) To translate and culturally adapt the English version of the Brief 2-Way SSS into Chinese (Cantonese) (Brief 2-Way SSS-C), (2) to report the results of validation of the Brief 2-Way SSS-C, and (3) to investigate the level of social support in people with stroke in Hong Kong. Methods. The Brief 2-Way SSS-C was produced following the standard forward-backward translation model. People with stroke ( $n=109$ ) and age-matched controls ( $n=53$ ) were recruited through a university-affiliated neurorehabilitation laboratory. Results. The Brief 2-Way SSS-C demonstrated excellent content validity, acceptable to good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.74–0.88), and good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.76–0.81). There were no ceiling or floor effects, and the MDC95 across all subscales was 4. The Brief 2-Way SSS-C subscales had significant correlations with various health-related outcome measures. People with stroke had a lower level of social support than the age-matched healthy controls. Conclusions. The Brief 2-Way SSS-C is a culturally relevant, reliable, and valid outcome measure for the level of social support in community-dwelling people with stroke.

Valuing the impact of self-rated health and instrumental support on life satisfaction among the chinese population

Background

Research has highlighted that satisfaction in health, and instrumental support (IS) are key areas of life affecting an individual’s wellbeing. Many social and public health initiatives use these two intervention mechanisms to improve individual’s wellbeing. For the purpose of cost-benefit assessment, there has been growing interest in expressing these intervention effects in economic terms. However, only a handful of studies have ever estimated these effects in economic terms, none of which examined them in a Chinese context. The aim of this study is to extend this line of valuation work to the Chinese population, estimating the implicit willingness-to-pays on the effects of improving individuals’ self-rated health (SRH) status and IS on their life satisfaction (LS).

Methods

Using data from a two-wave representative panel survey in Hong Kong (n = 1,109), this study conducted a cross-lagged analysis with a structural equation modelling technique to examine the causal effects of SRH and IS on LS. The use of this cross-lagged approach was an effort to minimise the endogeneity problem. Then, substituting the respective estimates to the formulae of compensating surplus, the marginal rate of substitution of SRH and IS with respect to individual’s equivalised monthly household income (HI) were estimated and were then expressed as the implicit willingness-to-pays on the effect of improving individuals’ SRH and IS on their LS.

Results

The cross-lagged analysis ascertained the causal effects of SRH (β = 0.074, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.021, 0.127) and IS (β = 0.107, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.042, 0.171) on individuals’ satisfaction with life. Translating into the concept of compensating surplus, the implicit monetary values of improving the sample’s SRH from “poor health” to “excellent health” and their perceived IS from “little support” to “a lot of support” are equivalent to an increase in their equivalised monthly HI by US$1,536 and US$1,523 respectively.

Conclusions

This study is the first to derive the implicit monetary values of SRH and IS on individual’s LS in a predominantly Chinese society, and it has implications for the cost-benefit assessment in wellbeing initiatives within the population.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13626-7.

Thriving Beyond Resilience Despite Stress: A Psychometric Evaluation of the Newly Developed Teacher Stress Scale and Teacher Thriving Scale

Building on theoretical and empirical insights and applying the thriving theory as the conceptual framework, the authors developed two new teacher-specific scales, namely the Teacher Stress Scale (TSS) and the Teacher Thriving Scale (TTS). The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the psychometric properties of these two scales. Data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to a national sample of 122 participating early childhood teachers (ages 22–72 years, M = 41.01) teaching in preschool through third grade in 26 states of the United States during the 2020–2021 school year amidst COVID-19. This study revealed some important psychometric results. First, with respect to their internal structures, both the TSS and the TTS appeared to be best represented as bifactorial and trifactorial, respectively. Specifically, the TSS comprised two constructs: (1) Inadequate School-based Support, and (2) Teaching-related Demands; and the TTS encompassed three constructs: (1) Adaptability and Flexibility, (2) Personal Strengths and Professional Growth, and (3) Positive Mindset. Second, the negative correlation between the TSS and the TTS provided discriminant evidence for each other’s construct validity, while the positive correlations between the TTS and six conceptually cognate constructs (Stress Resilience, Resilience Coping, Coping Efficacy, Teaching Satisfaction, Emotional Support, and Gratitude) demonstrated convergent evidence for construct validity for the TTS. Third, both the overall TSS and the overall TTS as well as their subscales exhibited good internal consistency reliability. Fourth, both the overall TSS and the overall TTS also demonstrated test–retest reliability.

Socio-cultural integration and holistic health among Indigenous young adults

BACKGROUND

Research on associations between social integration and wellbeing holds promise to inform policy and practice targets for health promotion. Yet, studies of social connection too frequently rely on overly simplistic measures and give inadequate attention to manifestation and meanings of social integration across diverse groups. We use the term socio-cultural integration to describe expanded assessment of both social and cultural aspects of belonging and connection.

METHODS

We examined 7 distinct indicators of socio-cultural integration, identified heterogeneous patterns of responses across these indicators using latent profile analysis, and determined their relevance for wellbeing using survey data from a study with Indigenous communities in the U.S. and Canada. Wellbeing was measured using holistic ratings of self-rated physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

RESULTS

Latent profile analysis (LPA) of responses to the 7 socio-cultural integration variables yielded a 3-class model, which we labeled low, moderate, and high integration. Mean scores on self-rated physical, mental and spiritual health were significantly associated with LPA profiles, such that those in the low integration group had the lowest self-rated health scores and those in the high integration group had the highest health scores. With the exception of similar ratings of cultural identification between low and moderate integration profiles, patterns of responses to the diverse socio-cultural integration measures varied significantly across the 3 latent profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Results underscore the importance of expanding our assessment of social integration with attention to the interrelationships of family, community, culture, and our environment. Such concepts align with Indigenous conceptions of wellbeing, and have relevance for health across cultures. More concretely, the indicators of socio-cultural integration used in this study (e.g., cultural identity, having a sense of connectedness to nature or family, giving or receiving social support) represent malleable targets for inclusion in health promotion initiatives.

Recalibrating the epigenetic clock after exposure to trauma: The role of risk and protective psychosocial factors

BACKGROUND

Epigenetic aging is associated with a plethora of negative health outcomes and increased mortality. Yet, the dynamicity of epigenetic age after exposure to trauma and the factors that influence epigenetic age are not fully understood. This research evaluated longitudinal changes in epigenetic age before and after exposure to work-related trauma among paramedicine students. We further investigated psychological and social risk (psychological distress, posttraumatic stress disorder/PTSD symptom severity, professional quality of life) and protective factors (social support and organisational membership) that drive epigenetic aging at both time points.

METHODS

The study comprised of 80 samples of University paramedicine students including 40 individuals at two time points - t0 (baseline) and t1 (post-trauma exposure). Epigenome-wide analysis was performed from t0 and t1 saliva using the Illumina EPIC arrays that cover >860k probes. Data analysis was performed using R via generalized regression models. The epigenetic age was calculated based on the Horvath algorithm, GrimAge and SkinBloodAge were calculated using the Horvath online calculator, and p-value for significance was corrected using the FDR method for multiple testing corrections.

RESULTS

The epigenetic age at t0 and t1 were highly correlated with chronological age and with each other (r = 0.84-0.94). Baseline epigenetic age and follow-up epigenetic age were significantly associated with risk factors of psychological distress and PTSD symptom severity. Among the protective factors, a sense of psychological organisational membership at the start of the paramedicine course as measured at baseline significantly reduced epigenetic age at baseline and post-trauma exposure. On the other hand, receiving social support acted as a protective factor only after exposure to trauma (follow-up), decreasing epigenetic aging at follow-up. GrimAge acceleration at follow-up was significantly associated with increased PTSD symptom severity at baseline and follow-up. Moreover, increased social support at baseline and follow-up was associated with reduced follow-up GrimAge acceleration.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that epigenetic aging is dynamic and changes after exposure to trauma. Additionally, results demonstrate that different risk and protective factors influence epigenetic aging at different times. In conclusion, the research identified risk and protective factors associated with epigenetic aging pre- and post-trauma exposure, with implications for health and well-being among individuals exposed to trauma.

Children academic stress, mothers’ anxiety and Mother-Child relationship during COVID-19 in China

In this study, the researcher aims to examine and provide some knowledge of COVID-19 impact on mother-child relationship, children perceived academic stress and mothers' anxiety among families in mainland China (N = 1512). The researcher confirms that mental health symptoms resulting from Covid-19 are significant, with extensive impacts on mothers' anxieties, children's academic stress, and mother-child conflict and closeness. The researcher also show significant link between students' tremendous academic stress and students completing their final grade. The author highlights the need for health policies to expand families' psychological well-being especially in crisis time.