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Egan LA, Park HRP, Lam J, Gatt JM. Resilience to Stress and Adversity: A Narrative Review of the Role of Positive Affect. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2024; 17:2011-2038. [PMID: 38770188 PMCID: PMC11104260 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s391403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The modern conception of mental health encompasses not only mental illness but also mental wellbeing, including positive emotional states and other forms of positive experience. Accordingly, research on resilience - that is, recovery or adaptation following adversity - has recently expanded to consider the roles of positive affect in the resilience process. To review this research, we performed a keyword search of all peer-reviewed journals within the American Psychological Association's PsycInfo database, retrieving all studies of positive affect in the context of resilience. These studies measured positive affect either as the outcome of the resilience process or as a resilience resource in its own right. With positive affect as the outcome, the literature suggests that various resilience resources can promote positive affect following a stressor, especially positive personality traits (eg, hope, optimism, self-compassion) and supportive interpersonal connections. With positive affect as a resilience resource, the literature suggests that higher levels of positive affect may protect individuals from the impact of stress on a number of outcomes, such as depression and trauma symptoms. In all, the reviewed research showcases a wide range of stressors, resources, and outcomes, and there are numerous openings for future discoveries in this promising area of inquiry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A Egan
- Centre for Wellbeing, Resilience and Recovery, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Haeme R P Park
- Centre for Wellbeing, Resilience and Recovery, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Janine Lam
- Centre for Wellbeing, Resilience and Recovery, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Centre for Wellbeing, Resilience and Recovery, Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- Black Dog Institute, Randwick, NSW, Australia
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Yang J, Li YQ, Gong YL, Yan HL, Chen J, Liu LL, Wu J, Chu J. Benefit finding in individuals undergoing maintenance hemodialysis in Shanghai: a latent profile analysis. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1292175. [PMID: 38500646 PMCID: PMC10946449 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1292175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective This multi-center cross-sectional study aimed to delineate latent profiles of benefit finding (BF) in individuals undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) in Shanghai and examine associations between these BF profiles, social support, and coping style. Methods A total of 384 individuals undergoing MHD (mean age = 57.90, SD = 13.36) were assessed using the Benefit Finding Scale, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Perceived Social Support Scale. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified distinct BF categories. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) evaluated the correlation between BF groups and demographic variables, while the relationship between BF, social support, and coping style was tested through correlation and multiple regression analyses. Results LPA identified three BF groups: rich BF (54.17%), moderate BF (41.14%), and poor BF (4.69%). Regression analyses indicated that positive coping and social support are protective factors for BF. Additionally, older age and heightened understanding of MHD correlated with higher BF levels. Conclusion The findings highlighted the importance of recognizing different BF profiles in individuals on MHD and working toward promoting BF levels in the rich BF and moderate BF groups, while helping the poor BF group to identify and address their challenges. Medical professionals should consider interventions tailored to individual psychological profiles to improve mental health and quality of life outcomes in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- School of Nursing, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong-qi Li
- School of Nursing, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan-lin Gong
- School of Nursing, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-li Yan
- School of Health Services Management, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Chang Zheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Ling-ling Liu
- Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Chang Zheng Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Wu
- School of Nursing, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Chu
- School of Nursing, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Fleitas Alfonzo L, Disney G, Singh A, Simons K, King T. The effect of informal caring on mental health among adolescents and young adults in Australia: a population-based longitudinal study. Lancet Public Health 2024; 9:e26-e34. [PMID: 38176839 DOI: 10.1016/s2468-2667(23)00299-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Young carers are people aged up to 25 years who provide unpaid care to a relative or a friend living with a long-term condition or a disability. Providing informal care is associated with poor mental health. Longitudinal evidence on this relationship among young people is scarce. To address this gap, we assessed the mental health of people aged 15-25 years when providing informal care compared with when not providing informal care. METHODS We conducted a population-based longitudinal study using 20 years of data between 2001 and 2020 from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. We included observations of participants aged 15-25 years with at least two observations across 20 waves of HILDA. Informal care was categorised as 0 h per week, 1-19 h per week, and 20 or more h per week. Mental health was measured using the Mental Health Inventory (MHI-5) from the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Multivariate linear fixed-effects regression models were fitted to assess within-person changes in mental health when providing different levels of informal care. FINDINGS Of 44 663 people with 410 658 observations who participated in HILDA waves 1 to 20, 32 726 were excluded with 351 445 observations. 11 937 young people (with 59 213 observations) were deemed eligible for this study and, of these, 8996 participants with 43 231 observations were included in the complete case analytical sample. When caring for 1-19 h per week, young carers had an MHI-5 score of -1·98 points (95% CI -3·06 to -0·89) compared with when caring for 0 h per week. Mental health was worse when caring for 20 or more h per week, with participants displaying an MHI-5 score of -3·47 points (95% CI -6·02 to -0·92) compared with when caring for 0 h per week. Our findings were consistent across sensitivity tests. INTERPRETATION Our findings suggest potential mental health effects of informal care in young people, particularly when providing an intense amount of caregiving. Reducing young caring loads could be a possible avenue for intervention. FUNDING Melbourne Disability Institute Scholarship, University of Melbourne Research Training Program Scholarship, Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia funded Centre of Research Excellence in Disability and Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila Fleitas Alfonzo
- Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - George Disney
- Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ankur Singh
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Koen Simons
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Tania King
- Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Alfonzo LF, Singh A, Disney G, King T. The mental health impact of school bullying among young carers in Australia: a causal mediation analysis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16788. [PMID: 37798299 PMCID: PMC10555989 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43464-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Informal care can exert adverse effects on the mental health of young people. Bullying victimisation is an important determinant of mental disorders. Young carers are at elevated risk of bullying. We quantify the mental health effects of informal care among Australian adolescents and the extent to which these effects are transmitted through school bullying. We used data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Participants were classified as non-carers, light carers (caring for < 10 h/week) and moderate-to-heavy carers (caring for 10 + h/week). Mental health was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Using a counterfactual approach to mediation analysis, total effects (TE) of informal care on mental health were decomposed into natural direct effects (NDE-mental health effects not transmitted through school bullying) and natural indirect effects (NIE-mental health effects transmitted through school bullying). The TE of informal caring was 0.71 (95%CI - 0.03, 1.49) for light carers and 1.72 (95%CI 0.45, 3.02) for moderate-to-heavy carers. While school bullying explained 27% of the TE among moderate-to-heavy carers (NIE: 0.46; 95%CI 0.12, 0.91) there was weak evidence of mediation for light carers. Our findings indicate that the mental health effects of moderate-to-heavy caregiving can be reduced by school bullying interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludmila Fleitas Alfonzo
- Disability and Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, Centre for Health Equity, The University of Melbourne, Level 4, 207, Bouverie Street, MelbourneParkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| | - Ankur Singh
- Centre of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - George Disney
- Disability and Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, Centre for Health Equity, The University of Melbourne, Level 4, 207, Bouverie Street, MelbourneParkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Tania King
- Disability and Health Unit, School of Population and Global Health, Centre for Health Equity, The University of Melbourne, Level 4, 207, Bouverie Street, MelbourneParkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
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Use of Parental Disability Trajectories to Identify Adolescents Who are Young Carers. J Youth Adolesc 2023; 52:449-460. [PMID: 35595922 PMCID: PMC9842572 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-022-01627-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Being a young carer can have significant impacts on the lives of children and adolescents. Identifying young carers is difficult, making the provision of support challenging for service providers. This sample contained 4464 Australian children/adolescents across 11 years (49% female, aged 6/7 years at baseline, and 16/17 years at final wave). Group-based trajectory modeling was applied to examine parental disability trajectories across 5 waves of data collection. Associations between estimated trajectories and unpaid/informal caring at age 16/17 years were then assessed. Three trajectory groups were identified: consistently-low (80%), low-increasing-high (10%) and moderate-high (10%) levels of parental disability. There was strong evidence that caring was elevated in the low-increasing-high group compared to the consistently-low group, and moderate evidence of elevation in the moderate-high group. By identifying adolescents with increased odds of becoming young carers, this study shows that parental disability may be an important way for service providers to identify and support young carers.
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Wepf H, Joseph S, Leu A. Pathways to Mental Well-Being in Young Carers: The Role of Benefit Finding, Coping, Helplessness, and Caring Tasks. J Youth Adolesc 2021; 50:1911-1924. [PMID: 34282492 PMCID: PMC8352805 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-021-01478-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Although prior research has shown that young carers may perceive benefits from their challenging situation, it is unclear how and when benefit finding leads to better mental health. This study examines pathways through which benefit finding may influence mental well-being. Self-reported data were obtained from 601 adolescents aged 15–21 (Mage = 17.87, 71.9% female) who provided care for a close person with physical or mental health problems. Benefit finding was associated with better mental well-being directly as well as indirectly via better coping and lower helplessness. These findings were similar across young carers with different caring task profiles, except for a few differences regarding social/emotional and instrumental care. The study suggests that benefit finding could promote coping skills and mental well-being in adolescent young carers with implications for the design of future research on interventions with young carers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Wepf
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Careum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Stephen Joseph
- School of Education, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Agnes Leu
- Careum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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