The role of dispositional resilience in regaining life satisfaction after the loss of a spouse

Burnout Among Probation Officers: The Importance of Resilience

Like many human service professionals, probation officers are subject to a great deal of stress as part of their occupational duties. This study examines occupational stress and burnout among probation officers through the lens of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. This model suggests that organizational characteristics have implications for individual outcomes related to stress. However, the model largely neglects the role of individual factors, such as dispositional resilience. This study tests a refined model using cross-sectional surveys from 289 members of a probation officer union in the eastern United States. Results from structural equation modeling support the general predictions of the JD-R model in that job demands and job resources are correlated with burnout and engagement, which in turn predict health issues and intention to quit. Moreover, resilience significantly predicts every latent variable in the model, both directly and indirectly through its effect on intervening factors. Implications for workplace policy and practice are discussed.

Psychometric Properties of the Resilience Scale in Older Adults Post-Hip Fracture

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the modified 25-item Resilience Scale (RS-25) in older adults post-hip fracture using Rasch analysis. Methods: This was a descriptive study using baseline data from the Seventh Baltimore Hip Studies (BHS-7). There were 339 hip fracture patients included in this analysis. Results: Findings suggest there was support for reliability of the measure based on person and item separation index. The INFIT and OUTFIT statistics for testing validity were all in the acceptable range indicating that each item on the modified RS-25 fits the appropriate concept. There was no evidence of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) between genders. Conclusions: This study demonstrated evidence that the modified RS-25 is a reliable and valid measure to evaluate resilience among older adults post-hip fracture and therefore can be used in this population in clinical practice and research.

Journey Towards a Meaningful Life: Adaptation and Resilience in the Lives of Young Hindu Widows

Spousal death is a life-altering and traumatic life event in married life, compelling the surviving partner to transition and make substantial adjustments to their new life situation. Losing a spouse can affect individuals differently based on gender, impacting their psychological, social, and economic well-being. This article describes adaptation to a new life condition as widows strive to reconcile their roles, status, and identity while binding their resilience to direct their lives. This study explored the lives of 17 young Hindu widows in rural and semi-urban areas of Haryana, India. Using personal face-to-face interviews and purposive sampling, it captured their unique life stories. After losing their spouses, participants showed impressive resilience, reshaping their lives and identities. They navigated challenges firmly, emphasising personal commitment over social support for effective adaptation. It highlights a need for better support systems for widows, offering potential pathways to enhance their post-loss well-being.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Resilience

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the gut-brain interaction (DGBI), characterized, mainly in severe cases, by altered psychological stress reactivity, psychological disorders, and dysfunction of the brain-gut-microbiota axis. Prior studies have highlighted significant physical and emotional impairments in the health-related quality of life of patients with IBS. Resilience is a psychosocial ability that reduces negative emotions while enhancing adaptation to adversities. Resilience is essential for health promotion and stress response. The present study aimed to carry out a review of the literature in multiple databases, using the descriptors "resilience", "resiliency", and "irritable bowel syndrome". The inclusion criteria for obtaining the most relevant papers were research articles on resilience and irritable bowel syndrome written in English, published in a peer-reviewed journal, and involving human subjects. Studies specifically on resilience in IBS were sparse. These results need to be understood in light of these limitations. As resilience appears to be modifiable, it is essential to conduct direct research on resilience-enhancing interventions for people with IBS. The study of the factors involved in successful adaptation must be extended, to possibly yield new interventions that help the patients overcome the difficulties imposed by the disease.

Resilience to COVID-19 challenges: Lessons for school psychologists serving school-attending black South African youth aged 10 to 19 years old

Several studies have highlighted the mental health challenges of children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period, especially, in relation to an escalation of depression, anxiety, and stress. Whilst this may be the reality, it is unfortunate that most of the studies adopt a psychopathological point of departure often portraying doom and gloom. Adopting a social ecological resilience perspective the author focuses on the resilience of school-attending black South African youth during the COVID-19 lockdown period. The Child and Youth Resilience Measurement (CYRM-28) was completed by 4165 respondents in grades 4 to 12 (females = 2431, 58.4%; males = 1734, 41.6%) from the Gauteng, Mpumalanga and North-West provinces in South Africa. The findings indicate that school psychologists must consider gender, age and school levels when they design school-based resilience programmes for black South African children. Particular emphasis should be placed on contextual resilience highlighting spiritual, religious, cultural and educational factors. A major lesson for school psychologists is to ensure that school-based resiliency programmes adopt a whole school approach that includes children, their families and local communities for the successful promotion of resilience during adverse situations as postulated by the social ecological resilience model.

Predicting resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Kingdom: Cross-sectional and longitudinal results

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the psychological wellbeing of some people, there is evidence that many have been much less affected. The Ecological Model of Resilience (EMR) may explain why some individuals are not resilient whilst others are. In this study we test the EMR in a comparison of UK survey data collected from the COVID-19 Psychological Research Consortium (C19PRC) longitudinal study of a representative sample of the United Kingdom (UK) adult population and data from an Italian arm of the study. We first compare data from the third wave of the UK arm of the study, collected in July/August 2020, with data from an equivalent sample and stage of the pandemic in Italy in July 2020. Next, using UK longitudinal data collected from C19PRC Waves 1, 3 and 5, collected between March 2020 and April 2021 we identify the proportion of people who were resilient. Finally, we examine which factors, drawn from the EMR, predict resilient and non-resilient outcomes. We find that the 72% of the UK sample was resilient, in line with the Italian study. In the cross-sectional logistic regression model, age and self-esteem were significantly associated with resilience whilst death anxiety thoughts, neuroticism, loneliness, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms related to COVID-19 were significantly associated with Non-Resilient outcomes. In the longitudinal UK analysis, at Wave 5, 80% of the sample was Resilient. Service use, belonging to wider neighbourhood, self-rated health, self-esteem, openness, and externally generated death anxiety were associated with Resilient outcomes. In contrast, PTSD symptoms and loneliness were associated with Non-Resilient outcomes. The EMR effectively explained the results. There were some variables which are amenable to intervention which could increase resilience in the face of similar future challenges.

Characteristics of mental health stability during COVID-19: An online survey with people residing in a city region of the North West of England

Background and aim

Despite the significant mental health challenges the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated government measures have presented, research has shown that the majority of people have adapted and coped well. The aim of this study was i) to determine the proportion of people with mental stability and volatility during the pandemic in a North West England city region sample and ii) to establish group differences in psychosocial variables. Mental stability and volatility refer to the extent to which individuals reported change in levels of common mental health symptoms over the course of 12 weeks. No change in mental health over the 12 weeks reflected mental stability whilst change in mental health reflected mental volatility.

Method

A two-wave-online survey (N = 163) was used to explore the psychological and social impact of the pandemic on relatively disadvantaged neighbourhoods within the region. The data collected represents 12 weeks of individual pandemic experience between mid-June and mid-December 2020. A three-level composite common mental health change variable was created combining self-reported anxiety and depression to group stable, volatile, and very volatile individuals in terms of the changeability of their mental health. Kruskal-Wallis with post-hoc tests were used to determine how people with mental stability and volatility differed on factors categorised within an ecological framework of resilience (individual, community, societal, and COVID-19 specific).

Results

Individuals categorised as ‘stable’ in terms of mental health symptoms (63.6%) had better mental and physical health; were more tolerant of uncertainty; and reported higher levels of resilience and wellbeing compared to ‘very volatile’ people (19.8%). These individuals also reported feeling less socially isolated, experienced a greater sense of belonging to their community which was more likely to fulfil their needs, and were more likely to have access to green space nearby for their recommended daily exercise. ‘Stable’ individuals did not report worrying any more during the pandemic than usual and tolerated uncertainty better compared to those in the ‘volatile’ group.

Implications

The majority of participants in this sample were mentally stable and coping well with the challenges presented by the pandemic. The resilience of these individuals was related to key place-based factors such as a strong sense of community and useable local assets. The data showcase the role of place-based social determinants in supporting resilience and thereby highlight key preventative measures for public mental health during times of international crisis.

Resilient or Vulnerable? Effects of the COVID-19 Crisis on the Mental Health of Refugees in Germany

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic had consequences for the whole society, like during most crises, some population groups tended to be disproportionally affected. We rely on the most recent data from the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees to explore the resilience or vulnerability of refugees in the face of the pandemic. As the 2020 wave of the survey was in the field when the second nationwide lockdown started in December, we are able to apply a regression discontinuity design to analyze how refugees in Germany are coping with these measures. Our results reveal a negative effect of the lockdown on refugees' life satisfaction. Male refugees and those with a weaker support system face stronger negative outcomes than their counterparts. Since mental health is an important prerequisite for all forms of integration, understanding the related psychological needs in times of crisis can be highly important for policymakers and other stakeholders.

Problemy psychiczne po śmierci osoby bliskiej jako przedmiot ekspertyzy sądowej

Wśród różnych form przeżywania śmierci osoby bliskiej wymienia się żałobę, jej powikłaną postać a także współwystępujące z nią zaburzenia psychiczne (najczęściej zespoły lękowe, depresja, uzależnienie od substancji psychoaktywnych, zespół stresu pourazowego). Omówiono przypadek, w którym rodzice wystąpili do sądu o odszkodowanie i zadośćuczynienie za śmierć syna, który zginął na skutek obrażeń doznanych w wypadku drogowym. U powoda po śmierci syna wystąpiła reakcja żałoby, a u powódki stan żałoby powikłanej, z którym współwystępowały objawy depresyjne. Odmienne obrazy kliniczne u każdego z powodów były uwarunkowane innymi cechami osobowości, odmiennymi modelami radzenia sobie w sytuacjach trudnych, a także schorzeniami somatycznymi. Doprowadziło to do różnych implikacji orzeczniczych u każdego z badanych. W sprawach odszkodowawczych (śmierć osób bliskich) konieczna jest diagnostyka różnicowa pomiędzy żałobą, jej powikłaną formą a zaburzeniami o charakterze reaktywnym i endogennym. Przydatna jest w tym ocena psychologiczna predyspozycji osobowościowych a także mechanizmów radzenia sobie w sytuacjach obciążających. Niekorzystanie z leczenia psychiatrycznego lub terapii psychologicznej nie może przesądzać o braku zaburzeń psychicznych. W tego rodzaju sprawach opiniowanie wymaga szczególnej ostrożności i wyważonych ocen. Należy unikać nadmiernej medykalizacji przeżyć po stracie osoby bliskiej, ale nie można też traktować stanów psychopatologicznych jedynie w kategoriach fizjologicznej reakcji na śmierć bliskiego.

Mental Resilience, Mood, and Quality of Life in Young Adults with Self-Reported Impaired Wound Healing

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of self-reported impaired wound healing on quality of life, wellbeing, and mood. It was hypothesized that individuals with impaired wound healing report significantly poorer mood compared to healthy controls. An online survey was conducted among 2173 Dutch young adults (18–30 years old) to investigate mood, neuroticism, and mental resilience. Participants were allocated to a healthy control group (N = 1728) or impaired wound healing groups comprising a wound infection group (WI, N = 76), a slow-healing wounds group (SHW, N = 272), and a group that experienced both WI and SHW (the COMBI group, N = 97). The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare outcomes the groups. Compared to the healthy control group, the SHW and COMBI groups, but not the WI group, reported significantly poorer mood, increased neuroticism, reduced mental resilience, and reduced quality of life. An analysis evaluating sex differences found that negative effects on stress, mental resilience, and neuroticism were significantly more pronounced among women than among men. In conclusion, self-reported impaired wound healing is associated with poorer mood and reduced quality of life. To improve future wound care, these findings advocate for an interdisciplinary approach taking into account mood effects accompanying having impaired wound healing.

Change in Episodic Memory With Spousal Loss: The Role of Social Relationships

OBJECTIVES

The spousal relationship is one of the most important social contexts in old age, and the loss of a spouse/partner is associated with stress and cognitive decline. In the present study, we examined whether social relationships can buffer potential negative effects of spousal loss on cognition. We examined the role of social network, social activities, and perceived deficiencies in social relationships (loneliness).

METHOD

We used longitudinal data between 1998 and 2012 from 2,074 participants of the Health and Retirement Study, who had experienced spousal loss during the study period. Multilevel modeling was used to examine how time-varying indicators of social network, social activities, and loneliness were related to age-related trajectories of episodic memory prior to and after spousal loss. Analyses controlled for gender, race/ethnicity, education, time-varying functional health, and being repartnered/remarried.

RESULTS

Having children living within 10 miles and providing help to others buffered negative effects of widowhood on episodic memory. In addition, within-person increase in providing help to others buffered against decline in episodic memory after spousal loss. Having friends in the neighborhood, more frequent social visits, providing help to others, volunteering, and lack of loneliness were related to higher episodic memory, while having relatives in the neighborhood was related to lower episodic memory.

DISCUSSION

Our findings suggest that social networks, social activities, and loneliness are related to levels of cognitive function at the time of spousal loss and that social relationships can buffer negative effects of spousal loss on cognitive function. Implications for future research are discussed.

Assessing Resilience in Older Adulthood: Development and Validation of the Resilience Scale for Older Adults

This study presents on the initial development and validation of the Resilience Scale for Older Adults (RSOA). This new measure is based on a theoretical model of resilience grounded in qualitative research conducted with older adults. The scale consists of four resilience protective factors with 11 underlying facets. The Intrapersonal factor consists of Perseverance and Determination, Self-Efficacy and Independence, Purpose and Meaning, and Positive Perspective. The Interpersonal factor consists of Sense of Community, Family Support, and Friend/Neighbour Support. The Spiritual factor consists of Faith and Prayer, and the Experiential factor consists of Previous Adversity and Proactivity. The findings of three independent studies using older adult samples support the four-factor, 11-facet structure of the RSOA. Results also provide promising initial reliability and validity information, and analysis of gender invariance suggests that the factor structure is comparable across men and women. Implications for the applicability of the RSOA in research and clinical settings are discussed.

Factors impacting resilience as a result of exposure to COVID-19: The ecological resilience model

Despite the severe psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, some individuals do not develop high levels of psychological distress and can be termed resilient. Using the ecological resilience model, we examined factors promoting or hindering resilience in the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 1034 participants (49.9±16.2 years; females 51.2%) from Italian general population, 70% displayed resilient outcomes and 30% reported moderate-severe anxiety and/or depression. A binary regression model revealed that factors promoting resilience were mostly psychological (e.g., trait resilience, conscientiousness) together with social distancing. Conversely, factors hindering resilience included COVID-19-anxiety, COVID-19-related PTSD symptoms, intolerance of uncertainty, loneliness, living with children, higher education, and living in regions where the virus was starting to spread. In conclusion, the ecological resilience model in the COVID-19 pandemic explained 64% of the variance and identified factors promoting or hindering resilient outcomes. Critically, these findings can inform psychological interventions supporting individuals by strengthening factors associated with resilience.

Genetic evidence for a large overlap and potential bidirectional causal effects between resilience and well-being

Resilience and well-being are strongly related. People with higher levels of well-being are more resilient after stressful life events or trauma and vice versa. Less is known about the underlying sources of overlap and causality between the constructs. In a sample of 11.304 twins and 2.572 siblings from the Netherlands Twin Register, we investigated the overlap and possible direction of causation between resilience (i.e. the absence of psychiatric symptoms despite negative life events) and well-being (i.e. satisfaction with life) using polygenic score (PGS) prediction, twin-sibling modelling, and the Mendelian Randomization Direction of Causality (MR-DoC) model. Longitudinal twin-sibling models showed significant phenotypic correlations between resilience and well-being (.41/.51 at time 1 and 2). Well-being PGS were predictive for both well-being and resilience, indicating that genetic factors influencing well-being also predict resilience. Twin-sibling modeling confirmed this genetic correlation (0.71) and showed a strong environmental correlation (0.93). In line with causality, both genetic (51%) and environmental (49%) factors contributed significantly to the covariance between resilience and well-being. Furthermore, the results of within-subject and MZ twin differences analyses were in line with bidirectional causality. Additionally, we used the MR-DoC model combining both molecular and twin data to test causality, while correcting for pleiotropy. We confirmed the causal effect from well-being to resilience, with the direct effect of well-being explaining 11% (T1) and 20% (T2) of the variance in resilience. Data limitations prevented us to test the directional effect from resilience to well-being with the MR-DoC model. To conclude, we showed a strong relation between well-being and resilience. A first attempt to quantify the direction of this relationship points towards a bidirectional causal effect. If replicated, the potential mutual effects can have implications for interventions to lower psychopathology vulnerability, as resilience and well-being are both negatively related to psychopathology.

Exposure to Domestic Violence during Adolescence: Coping Strategies and Attachment Styles as Early Moderators and their Relationship to Functioning during Adulthood

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of exposure to domestic violence during adolescence on an individual's psychological health, ability to regulate emotions, and sense of satisfaction with life, during adulthood. Additionally, it aimed to investigate the long-term role of different coping strategies and attachment with primary caregiver, during adolescence, as potential moderators in the relationship between severity of domestic violence exposure during adolescence and an individual's functioning during adulthood. A total of 218 adult participants completed measures regarding exposure to domestic violence, engagement in coping strategies, and attachment with primary caregiver, during adolescence, and psychological health, ability to regulate emotions, and sense of satisfaction with life, during adulthood. Ninety-two participants reported domestic violence exposure during adolescence. Two-way analyses of variance indicated that participants who were exposed to domestic violence during adolescence were more likely to report negative functioning during adulthood. Correlational analysis indicated that severity of domestic violence exposure during adolescence was positively correlated with engagement in avoidance-focused coping strategies and insecure attachment, during adolescence, and negative functioning during adulthood. Moderation analyses indicated that engagement in avoidance-focused coping strategies and insecure attachment with primary caregiver, during adolescence, moderated the relationship between severity of domestic violence exposure during adolescence and functioning during adulthood, but only in low-moderate severity of exposure to domestic violence. These findings confirm the long-term impact of domestic violence exposure during adolescence on an individual's functioning during adulthood, and provide new information that certain coping strategies and attachment with primary caregiver during adolescence may buffer against the impact.

The Development of the Widowhood Resilience Scale

Widowhood researchers have been increasingly interested in the construct of resilience and identifying factors which contribute to adaptive responses to conjugal loss. Available measures of general resilience were validated on nonwidowed samples and broadly lack face validity for use with widowed people. This article reports the development and validation of a resilience scale specific to widowhood, the Widowhood Resilience Scale. Initially, qualitative responses from 744 widowed people were analyzed and cross-referenced with existing literature on resilience to develop 49 items. The 49 items were tested on a sample of 1,188 widowed people, resulting in a 6-factor, 25-item scale.

Neighborhood Social Cohesion, Resilience, and Psychological Well-Being Among Chinese Older Adults in Hawai’i

Background and Objectives

A growing body of literature indicates that neighborhood social cohesion is generally associated with lower levels of psychological distress and higher levels of life satisfaction (LS). However, very few studies have examined these relationships among Chinese older adults, the fastest growing aging population across all racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. Focusing on this population, the current study aims to examine the associations of neighborhood cohesion with psychological distress and LS as well as the mediating role of resilience and the moderating role of birth place in the associations.

Research Design and Methods

Ordinary least squares regressions were applied to analyze data collected among 430 Chinese older adults aged 55 and older residing in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

Results

Results show that neighborhood social cohesion was positively associated with lower levels of psychological distress and higher levels of LS for the whole sample. The association between social cohesion and psychological distress was moderated by birth place such that the protecting effects of neighborhood cohesion on distress were only salient for the U.S.-born but not for the foreign-born. Moreover, the mediating role of resilience was identified: It contributed to more than 60% of the association between social cohesion and psychological distress, and more than 22% of the association between social cohesion and LS.

Discussion and Implications

Our findings indicate the importance of a cohesive social environment and resilience in shaping psychological well-being and quality of life for older Chinese adults, the U.S.-born in particular, living in Honolulu, Hawai’i.

Lived experience of young widowed individuals: A qualitative study

Young widowhood is a unique experience that has received little in-depth attention in research and clinical settings. The present study examined the lived experiences of young men and women who had lost a spouse. Eleven men and women between the ages of 18 and 49 were interviewed about their experiences postloss using phenomenological methods. After coding the interviews, three themes emerged: (1) relationship prior to death, (2) coping, and (3) concerns. Clinical implications included the need for more accessible resources for young widowed individuals, such as therapeutic services, finances, and childcare.

Social Dimensions of Personal Growth following Widowhood: A Three-Wave Study

BACKGROUND

Losing one's spouse is one of the most stressful life events in old age, yet research on positive consequences of overcoming critical life events describes experiences of personal growth for survivors.

OBJECTIVE

Because prior studies conceptualized personal growth as a stable accomplishment of an individual, our study challenges this assumption by examining trajectories of personal growth and its links to two aspects of social support. We assume that personal growth is boosted by heightened levels of loss-related social support seeking during early years of widowhood. However, toward the later stages in the bereavement process, we expect personal growth to be fostered by perceived social embeddedness.

DATA AND METHOD

Data stem from a survey on relationships in later life conducted in 2012, 2014, and 2016 in Switzerland. The final analytical sample consisted of 508 individuals aged 50+ years, who were on average 73 years old and widowed for about 3 years at baseline. Longitudinal explorative factor analyses yielded a 3-factorial solution for personal growth. Random-effects group-specific growth curves were used to examine the trajectories of personal growth and its subdimensions, by different levels of loss-related social support seeking and embeddedness in a supportive network, over the first 8 years of widowhood. Our analyses included time-invariant and time-varying covariates.

RESULTS

On average, our findings point to a stable trajectory of personal growth after having become widowed in later life. Group-specific analyses, however, showed different courses in the trajectories for specific subdimensions of personal growth - particularly for spiritual change and appreciation of life. Average marginal effects also yielded group differences by loss-related support seeking in the level of personal growth over time, which highlight the importance of social support seeking, rather than social embeddedness, at all stages of the bereavement process.

CONCLUSION

Findings underline the importance of a longitudinal and linked-lives perspective on personal growth and point to different pathways regarding its various subdimensions. Future research should further examine the validity of personal growth scales for other populations and consider the possibility to experience personal growth already during the anticipation of a traumatic event (e.g., in the case of long-term caretaking).

Resilience Among Nepali Widows After the Death of a Spouse: "That Was My Past and Now I Have to See My Present"

Responses to the death of a spouse vary; although some are at increased risk of poorer physical and mental health outcomes, others have more resilient responses. In light of the limited scope of research on widows' experiences in Nepal, a setting where widows are often marginalized, we explore themes of resilience in Nepali widows' lives. Drawing from a larger qualitative study of grief and widowhood, a thematic narrative analysis was performed on narratives from four widows that reflected resilient outcomes. Individual assets and social resources contributed to these widows' resilient outcomes. Forgetting, acceptance, and moving forward were complemented by confidence and strength. Social support and social participation were key to widows' resilient outcomes. These four narratives reflect the sociocultural context that shape widows' resilient outcomes in Nepal. Future studies on the emergent themes from this exploratory study will help identify how best to encourage resilient outcomes among widows.

Developing entrepreneurial resilience: implications for human resource development

Purpose

Leadership development has attracted much research attention within the human resource development (HRD) community. However, little scholarly effort has been made to study a special group of leaders – entrepreneurs. This paper aims to fill in this knowledge gap by taking a close look at entrepreneurial resilience, a key ability of entrepreneurs to overcome challenges and adapt to uncertainties.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducted an extensive literature review using conceptual analysis as the primary method. Enablers and inhibitors affecting entrepreneurial resilience development were identified from the selected empirical studies.

Findings

From the analysis of empirical studies, a set of enablers and inhibitors was identified, and the effects on entrepreneur resilience were explored. Based on identified enablers and inhibitors, an integrative model of entrepreneurial resilience that serves as a building block for entrepreneurial resilience theory building was proposed.

Originality/value

Findings from this research and the newly proposed model will not only contribute to the much-needed entrepreneurial resilience theory building but also serve as a useful guide for human resource professionals and trainers in designing leadership development interventions.

Resilience mediated the association between acculturation and psychological growth in college students from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, China

BACKGROUND

The number of Hong Kong citizens living in mainland China is increasing. The process of acculturation may create opportunities for psychological growth.

AIMS

This study aimed at examining whether resilience mediated the effects of acculturation on psychological growth in college students from Hong Kong to Guangzhou.

METHOD

In this cross-sectional survey, 164 college students in Guangzhou who were Hong Kong permanent residents (female: 46%, age: 21.09 ± 1.50) joined the study.

RESULTS

The integration group reported more psychological growth than the assimilation, separation, and marginalization groups. Resilience partially mediated the effect of integration on psychological growth and fully mediated the effect of marginalization on psychological growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Resilience represents one of the mechanisms to explain beneficial effects of integration on psychological growth in college students from Hong Kong to Guangzhou. Theoretical considerations to rethink the acculturation model, implications for developing intervention programs, and recommendations for future research are discussed.

A model of resilience and marital satisfaction

This article examined the hypothesis that resilience mediates the relationship between marital satisfaction and a host of relevant variables, including spousal attachment, social support, and affect. Participants were 195 married individuals, who completed online surveys about their marriage. Importantly, the findings indicated that resilience has a direct effect on marital satisfaction. In addition, affect and social support were each shown to indirectly impact satisfaction through resilience. The relationships between spousal attachment, resilience, and satisfaction were more complicated than predicted and are further discussed. Overall, the results demonstrate the importance of resilience in marital satisfaction.

Impacts of making sense of adversity on depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and posttraumatic growth among a sample of mainly newly diagnosed HIV-positive Chinese young homosexual men: the mediating role of resilience

The experience of HIV, as a life-transforming event, might produce both negative and positive outcomes. Guided by the stress appraisal model, the present study investigated the hypothesized pathways in predicting symptomatology and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a sample of Chinese male patients with HIV (PHIV) who were mainly newly diagnosed, young, and homosexual. In this cross-sectional study, 141 Chinese male PHIV (87.2% of them were homosexual) completed measures of making negative/positive sense of adversity, resilience, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and PTG. The path analysis results showed that making negative sense of adversity was associated with depression and PTSD, partially mediated by low levels of resilience, whereas making positive sense of adversity was associated with PTG, partially mediated by resilience. The results suggest that negative and positive outcomes of trauma are impacted by making negative and positive sense of adversity, respectively, via two separate pathways, both mediated by resilience. Our findings contribute to an understanding of the cognitive process of symptomatology and PTG in the HIV context. Theoretical considerations, clinical implications, and future directions are discussed.

Psychological adaptation to spousal bereavement in old age: The role of trait resilience, marital history, and context of death

This research examined the effect of marital status and gender on various indicators of psychological adaptation, namely depressive symptoms, loneliness, and life satisfaction. It further explores the role of trait resilience, marital history, and context of death for predicting these outcomes in bereaved individuals. Four hundred eighty widowed individuals aged between 60 and 89 were compared with 759 married peers. Main effects were found for marital status and gender for all indicators. The regression analyses illustrate the multifaceted structure of psychological adaptation. Trait resilience is a key factor in adapting to spousal bereavement, whereas marital history and the context are secondary.

Virtues, ecological momentary assessment/intervention and smartphone technology

Virtues, broadly understood as stable and robust dispositions for certain responses across morally relevant situations, have been a growing topic of interest in psychology. A central topic of discussion has been whether studies showing that situations can strongly influence our responses provide evidence against the existence of virtues (as a kind of stable and robust disposition). In this review, we examine reasons for thinking that the prevailing methods for examining situational influences are limited in their ability to test dispositional stability and robustness; or, then, whether virtues exist. We make the case that these limitations can be addressed by aggregating repeated, cross-situational assessments of environmental, psychological and physiological variables within everyday life-a form of assessment often called ecological momentary assessment (EMA, or experience sampling). We, then, examine how advances in smartphone application (app) technology, and their mass adoption, make these mobile devices an unprecedented vehicle for EMA and, thus, the psychological study of virtue. We, additionally, examine how smartphones might be used for virtue development by promoting changes in thought and behavior within daily life; a technique often called ecological momentary intervention (EMI). While EMA/I have become widely employed since the 1980s for the purposes of understanding and promoting change amongst clinical populations, few EMA/I studies have been devoted to understanding or promoting virtues within non-clinical populations. Further, most EMA/I studies have relied on journaling, PDAs, phone calls and/or text messaging systems. We explore how smartphone app technology provides a means of making EMA a more robust psychological method, EMI a more robust way of promoting positive change, and, as a result, opens up new possibilities for studying and promoting virtues.

Parent-child warmth as a potential mediator of childhood exposure to intimate partner violence and positive adulthood functioning

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Links between childhood exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and adult functioning are clear, but less research has examined the potential underpinnings of this association, especially the long-term effects of the parent-child relationship on adult well-being. We hypothesized that (i) childhood exposure to IPV would be negatively related to parent-child warmth and positively related to symptoms of psychopathology during adulthood and (ii) the relationship between IPV exposure and positive outcomes in adulthood (i.e., high life satisfaction and low psychopathology) would be mediated by parent-child warmth.

DESIGN

Participants included 703 Swedish adults (20-24).

METHODS

Participants responded to a self-report survey assessing violence exposure, parental warmth in childhood, and current mental health and well-being. Using multivariate regression and path analysis, models of the relationships between IPV exposure, parent-child warmth, symptoms of psychopathology during adulthood, and life satisfaction were examined. Mediation models were considered exploratory.

RESULTS

IPV exposure was related to lower levels of parent-child warmth, higher levels of psychopathology symptoms, and lower life satisfaction. The relationship between IPV exposure and positive outcomes in adulthood was mediated by parent-child warmth.

CONCLUSIONS

Warm parent-child interactions may play a key role in long-term positive functioning for those exposed to IPV during childhood.

The Impact of Genetics on Physical Resilience and Successful Aging

Objective: To better understand the impact of genetics on resilience and successful aging, we tested a model of successful aging. Method: This was a descriptive study with a single interview and blood draw done with residents in a continuing care retirement community. Five genes associated with resilience were included in the model. The hypothesis was tested using structural equation modeling. Results: A total of 116 participants completed the survey. Two SNPs from SLC6A4 (rs25533 and rs1042173) and age were the only variables associated with physical resilience and explained 9% of the variance. Cognitive status, age, and depression were directly associated with successful aging; variance in rs25532 or rs1042173, resilience, and pain were indirectly associated with successful aging through depression. Discussion: Continued research to replicate these findings is needed so as to be able to recognize older adults at risk of low physical resilience and implement appropriate interventions.

Trait Stress Resistance and Dynamic Stress Dissipation on Health and Well-Being: The Reservoir Model

Daily data from the NDHWB (n = 783; age range 37-90) were analyzed to produce 'dynamic characteristic' estimates of stress input and dissipation. These were used in multi-level modeling (with age and trait stress resistance) to predict depression and health trajectories. Main effects suggest that dissipation and stress resistance predict lower depression and better health, but lower stress input was only related to lower depression. Interactions revealed that subjects with above average stress resistance had lower depression irrespective of their ability to dissipate stress, but for individuals low in trait resistance those with better stress dissipation show lower depression and better health.

The association of resilience and age in individuals with colorectal cancer: an exploratory cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Studies generally report lower emotional distress in older patients with cancer than in younger patients with cancer. The personality construct of resilience was previously found to be higher with age, but has not been assessed in relation to emotional distress in older patients with cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the mediating effect of resilience on the associations between age and emotional distress in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

An exploratory cross-sectional study of 92 individuals, aged 27-87 years, diagnosed with CRC stage II-III, 1-5 years prior to enrollment in the study. They completed the Wagnild and Young's resilience scale and Brief Symptoms Inventory-18, cancer-related problem list, and demographic and disease-related details.

RESULTS

Older age, male gender, and less cancer-related problems were associated with higher resilience and lower emotional distress. A Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis and mediation tests showed that, while controlling for cancer-related problems, resilience mediated the effects of age and gender on emotional distress.

CONCLUSIONS

The study enlarges the explanation for the consistent previous findings on the better adjustment of older patients with cancer. Increased professional support should be provided for patients with low resilience levels.

Resilience among caregivers of children with chronic conditions: a concept analysis

The purpose of this concept analysis is to uncover the essential elements involved in caregivers’ resilience in the context of caring for children with chronic conditions. Walker and Avant’s methodology guided the analysis. The study includes a literature review of conceptual definitions of caregiver resilience in caring for children with chronic conditions. The defining attributes and correlates of caregiver resilience are reviewed. Concept analysis findings in a review of the nursing and health-related literature show that caregiver resilience in the context of caring for chronically ill children can be defined within four main dimensions, ie, disposition patterns, situational patterns, relational patterns, and cultural patterns. Empiric measurements of the impact of caregiver resilience applied to caregivers with children with chronic conditions are also reported in the analysis. The findings of this concept analysis could help nurses and health care providers to apply the concept of caregiver resilience in allied health care and be applied to further studies.

Resilient ageing: a concept analysis

AIM

This paper is a report of an analysis of the concept resilient ageing. Unique in comparison with other healthy ageing concepts, resilient ageing can be applied to all older people, regardless of age or affliction.

BACKGROUND

The state of global population expansion in older people over the next 50 years calls for increased health promotion research efforts to ensure the maintenance of health and optimal quality of life for all older people.

DATA SOURCES

Literature for this concept analysis was retrieved from several databases, CINAHL, PubMed PsycINFO, for the years 1990-2012.

DESIGN

Rodgers's evolutionary method of concept analysis was used because of its applicability to concepts that are still evolving.

METHODS

An integrative research review methodology was applied to peer-reviewed journal articles (n = 46) for an inductive analysis of the concept of resilient ageing.

RESULTS

The antecedents, defining attributes, and consequence of resilient ageing were identified. Antecedents to resilient ageing were found to be adversity and protective factors, while the core attributes include coping, hardiness and self-concept. The consequence of the process of resilient ageing was optimal quality of life. Sense of coherence was found to be the surrogate term. The results obtained were further substantiated using Antonovsky's (1979) theory of salutogenesis.

CONCLUSION

A theoretical definition and a model of resilient ageing were developed. In addition, a discussion was provided on the practice, policy and research implications for promoting the development of protective factors and resilient ageing.

The Resilience Scale: psychometric properties and clinical applicability in older adults

Resilience is described as the ability to achieve, retain, or regain a level of physical or emotional health after illness or loss. The Resilience Scale was specifically developed to measure personality characteristics of resilience in older adults. The purposes of this article are to provide additional support for the psychometric properties of the Resilience Scale and to consider the clinical applicability of this tool. Data from two independent samples of older adults were used. Most of the participants were Caucasian women, between 80 and 90 years of age, widowed, single, or divorced, and they had on average approximately three comorbid medical problems. Psychometric testing included confirmatory factor analysis, Rasch analysis, and test criterion relationships for validity testing, and internal consistency and estimates of R(2) for reliability testing. Although there was some support for the reliability and validity of the 25-item Resilience Scale, there was a poor fit of Items 3-6, 9, 11, 20, and 22 in the 25-item measure. Overall, participants in both samples scored high in resilience, and item mapping indicated that additional items are needed on the measure to differentiate those who are particularly resilient. Although revisions are recommended, use of the Resilience Scale can help identify older adults low in resilience and expose these individuals to interventions to improve resilience and facilitate successful aging.

Psychological resilience predicts depressive symptoms among spouses of persons with Alzheimer disease over time

This study examines the three facets of psychological resilience (i.e., perceived control, commitment to living, challenge versus stability) as predictors of depressive symptoms over time among spousal caregivers of persons with Alzheimer disease; these resilience factors were considered over and above dementia-related and socio-demographic control variables. A sample of 105 cohabiting spouses of persons diagnosed with probable or possible Alzheimer disease was recruited for this study. Multilevel modeling enabled us to examine baseline resilience, and the direction and magnitude of change in resilience over time, as distinct predictors of depressive symptoms one year later, and change in depressive symptoms between points of measurement. Both Time 1 control and challenge predicted lower levels of depressive symptoms one year later; furthermore, an increase in challenge over this interval predicted lower Time 2 depressive symptoms. In contrast, commitment did not emerge as a statistically significant predictor of caregiver depression. Findings of this study provide general support for the stress process model of caregiving; in particular, the central role of intra-psychic factors as significant predictors of depressive symptoms over time.

A pilot study on perceived stress and PTSD symptomatology in relation to four dimensions of older women's physical health

OBJECTIVES

The authors examined whether selected demographic and psychological factors would predict physical health dimensions in a sample of 53 cognitively high-functioning and ethnically diverse women (age 65-105 years).

METHOD

Predictors encompassed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and perceived stress (of a nontraumatic nature and beyond health status) in relation to four dimensions of physical health. Age and income, well-known correlates of health in the target population, were included as potential predictors. The authors first tested the relationship between potential predictors and health dimensions via a canonical correlation analysis, and then employed full multiple regression analyses to simultaneously test the predictors in each health dimension model.

RESULTS

Perceived stress was a significant predictor of lower levels of general health (GH), but not of physical role limitations or physical functioning (PF). Conversely, PTSD symptomatology predicted more limitations in role fulfillment (and, to a lesser extent, impaired PF), but not lower levels of GH. As expected, age and income were predictive of some physical health dimensions. The hypothesized predictors failed to account for a significant portion of variance in pain scores.

CONCLUSION

PTSD symptomatology and perceived stress might influence older women's physical health dimensions differentially; additional research on larger samples is needed to corroborate these findings.

A pilot study on perceived stress and PTSD symptomatology in relation to four dimensions of older women's physical health

OBJECTIVES

The authors examined whether selected demographic and psychological factors would predict physical health dimensions in a sample of 53 cognitively high-functioning and ethnically diverse women (age 65-105).

METHOD

Predictors encompassed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology and perceived stress (of a nontraumatic nature and beyond health status) in relation to all dimensions of physical health of the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (MOS SF-36); (Ware, J.E., & Sherbourne, C.D., 1992). The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36): I. Conceptual framework and item selection. Medical Care, 30(6), 473-483). Age and income, well-known correlates of health in the target population, were included as potential predictors. The authors first tested the relationship between potential predictors and health dimensions via a canonical correlation analysis, and then employed full multiple regression analyses to simultaneously test the predictors in each health dimension model.

RESULTS

Perceived stress was a significant predictor of lower levels of general health (GH), but not of role limitations or physical functioning (PF). Conversely, PTSD symptomatology predicted more limitations in role fulfillment (and, to a lesser extent, impaired PF), but not lower levels of GH. As expected, age and income were predictive of some physical health dimensions. The hypothesized predictors failed to account for a significant portion of variance in pain scores.

CONCLUSION

PTSD symptomatology and perceived stress might influence older women's physical health dimensions differentially; additional research on larger samples is needed to corroborate these findings.

Risk and protective factors in association with mental health problems among people living with HIV who were former plasma/blood donors in rural China

A random sample of 271 people living with HIV (PLWH) who were former plasma/blood donors and a convenience sample of 67 HIV negative villagers were anonymously interviewed. Compared with the non-PLWH, PLWH reported higher prevalence of symptoms of depression (adjusted OR = 2.53, p=0.001), anxiety (adjusted OR = 1.85, p=0.04), and stress (adjusted OR = 1.77, p=0.06). Of the PLWH respondents, 81.7% received Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART); 32.1% of whom reported some side effects. Respectively 13.7%, 37.4%, and 38.4% PLWH perceived discrimination from their family members, relatives/friends, and neighbors. Absence of HAART, poor physical function, perceived discrimination from relatives and friends, and low level of resilience were associated with depression (stepwise regression; beta = - 0.28-0.17, R-square = 0.22), anxiety and stress (R-square = 0.32 and 0.16, respectively). The majority of respondents (70.1%) desired group intervention as a means for providing psychological support services. Relevant programs should both remove risk factors (e.g., absence of medical treatment, HIV-related discrimination) and promote protective factors (e.g., resilience). Support group is one of the potentially useful approaches to provide psychological support services.