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Ke GN, Gow A, Wong RMM, Raman S, Mohammad Z, De-Lima N, Khairudin R, Lau WY, Kamal KA, Lee SC, Grajfoner D. Perceptions of risk and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic among women and older adults. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301009. [PMID: 38630742 PMCID: PMC11023439 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The world's health, economic, and social systems have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdown measures being a common response strategy in most countries, many individuals were faced with financial and mental health challenges. The current study explored the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being, perception of risk factors and coping strategies of two vulnerable groups in Malaysia, namely women and older adults from low-income households (USD592). A purposive sample of 30 women and 30 older adults was interviewed via telephone during Malaysia's Movement Control Order (MCO) regarding the challenges they faced throughout the pandemic. Thematic analysis was subsequently conducted to identify key themes. The themes identified from the thematic analysis indicated a degree of overlap between both groups. For women, seven themes emerged: 1) Psychological challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic, 2) Family violence, 3) Finance and employment related stress and anxiety, 4) Women's inequality and prejudice, 5) Coping strategies, 6) Professional support, and 7) Women's empowerment. Similarly, there were six themes for the older adults: 1) Adverse emotional experiences from COVID-19, 2) Threats to health security, 3) Loss of social connections, 4) Government aid to improve older adults' psychological well-being, 5) Psychological support from family members and pets, and 6) Self-reliance, religion, and spirituality. The findings provide valuable information on the specific burdens faced by these groups, and support psychological interventions and mitigations that would be appropriate to improve well-being during the recovery phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guek Nee Ke
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Alan Gow
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Mei Ming Wong
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Shahirah Raman
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Zulaikha Mohammad
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Nicole De-Lima
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | | | - Wee Yeap Lau
- Faculty of Economics and Administration, Department of Applied Statistics, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Shen Chiang Lee
- Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Dasha Grajfoner
- Centre for Applied Behavioural Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Putrajaya, Malaysia
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- DOBA Business School, Maribor, Slovenia
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Jalil MF, Ali A. The influence of meaningful work on the mental health of SME employees in the COVID-19 era: can coping strategies mediate the relationship? BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2435. [PMID: 38057782 PMCID: PMC10702016 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17347-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress, depression, and anxiety are prevalent issues among SME employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Even while having meaningful work that expressively contributes to individual growth has been related to improving mental health, employees' work may also need to adopt coping strategies to increase outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between meaningful work (positive meaning, meaning-making, and greater good motivations) and mental health, as well as coping strategies (problem-focused and emotion-focused) as a mediator of this relationship. METHODS Meaningful work, coping strategies, and mental health were evaluated in empirical research based on a sample of 462 SME employees working in Malaysia. Structured questionnaires were used to collect the data and analyze it through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using AMOS 21.0. RESULTS The findings of the study show the importance of meaningful work in influencing the mental health of SME employees, particularly during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. This suggests that the more they value and see their work as meaningful, the more capable they are of dealing with limitations and mental health problems associated with crises. The study also discovered a partial mediating role for coping strategies between employees' mental health and meaningful work. CONCLUSION This study encourages employees to constantly feel connected and discover continued possibilities to work and learn even during crisis situations. In order to improve human resource efficiency in emerging markets, managers and owners of SMEs must implement the model developed by the researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Farhan Jalil
- Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), 94300, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia.
| | - Azlan Ali
- Graduate School of Management, Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
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Jalil MF, Tariq B, Zaheer MA, Ahmed Z. Responses to COVID-19, small and medium enterprises’ corporate social responsibility and psychological capital of employees: From the mediating perspective of affective commitment. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15004. [PMID: 37151692 PMCID: PMC10161384 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employees' positive psychological capital in stressful situations remains unexplored in the literature for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to examine how CSR could assist employees in developing psychological capital during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to understand the aforesaid relationship, an attempt is made to study the mediation effect of affective commitment. Structural equation modelling (AMOS 21.0) was used for data analysis and hypothesis testing on a sample of 545 employees from 356 Malaysian SMEs. The results of this study showed that SMEs' CSR policies helped to improve the positive psychological capital of their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, affective commitment complementary mediates the relationship between CSR and psychological capital. During the COVID-19 pandemic, SMEs should come up with a consistent way to implement CSR policies and procedures to improve employees' psychological capital and increase their affective commitment toward the enterprise. There are two main contributions to the literature from this study, in addition to enriching previous empirical research on CSR. As a first contribution to the CSR literature, it examines how CSR impacts employees' psychological capital during a pandemic. COVID-19 is one of the recent pandemics that offers an opportunity to examine its effects on employee psychological state. Secondly, the results of the study add to the growing body of empirical research that supports affective commitment's significant relationship with CSR and enhances employees' psychological capital during a pandemic in a developing market.
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Fei J, Hu Y, Liang L, Meng C, Mei S. Exploring the Impact of Emotional and Cognitive Factors on Anxiety Symptoms of Chinese Adolescents: a Serial Mediation Study. Int J Ment Health Addict 2023:1-15. [PMID: 36688112 PMCID: PMC9838377 DOI: 10.1007/s11469-022-01004-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The onset age of anxiety is decreasing worldwide, yet the majority of the study conducted on anxiety were focused on adult populations. This study aimed to investigate the mediating effect of psychological capital and coping style tendency on the relationship between emotional intelligence and anxiety in Chinese adolescents and provide empirical evidence for research and prevention. A cross-sectional study recruited 5747 participants from 5 randomly selected middle schools in the northeast China. Study results showed that high emotional intelligence (P < 0.05), high level of psychological capital (P < 0.05), and positive coping style tendency (P < 0.05) were correlated to lower level of anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Psychological capital and coping style tendency performed partial and serial mediating effect on the relationship between emotional intelligence and anxiety. Teaching adolescents how to regulate emotions can strengthens their positive mentalities, promotes the use of positive coping strategies, and then attenuates the severity of anxiety symptoms in a nonadditive manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junsong Fei
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021 China
| | - Yueyang Hu
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021 China
| | - Leilei Liang
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021 China
| | - Cuicui Meng
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021 China
| | - Songli Mei
- Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130021 China
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Wang AQ, Tang CH, Song J, Fan CX, Wang WC, Chen ZM, Yin WQ. Association of individual resilience with organizational resilience, perceived social support, and job performance among healthcare professionals in township health centers of China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1061851. [PMID: 36524161 PMCID: PMC9744941 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1061851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 04/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Primary healthcare professionals were overworked and psychologically overwhelmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resilience is an important shield for individuals to cope with psychological stress and improve performance in crises. This study aims to explore the association of individual resilience with organizational resilience, perceived social support and job performance among healthcare professionals in township health centers of China during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Data from 1,266 questionnaires were collected through a cross-sectional survey conducted in December 2021 in Shandong Province, China. Descriptive analysis of individual resilience, organizational resilience, perceived social support, and job performance was conducted. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the correlations among these variables, and structural equation modeling was performed to verify the relationships between these variables. RESULTS The score of individual resilience was 101.67 ± 14.29, ranging from 24 to 120. Organizational resilience (β = 0.409, p < 0.01) and perceived social support (β = 0.410, p < 0.01) had significant direct effects on individual resilience. Individual resilience (β = 0.709, p < 0.01) had a significant direct effect on job performance. Organizational resilience (β = 0.290, p < 0.01) and perceived social support (β = 0.291, p < 0.01) had significant indirect effects on job performance. CONCLUSION During the COVID-19 pandemic, the individual resilience of healthcare professionals in township health centers was at a moderate level. Organizational resilience and perceived social support positively affected individual resilience, and individual resilience positively affected job performance. Furthermore, individual resilience mediated the effect of organizational resilience and perceived social support on job performance. It is recommended that multiple stakeholders work together to improve the individual resilience of primary healthcare professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Qi Wang
- School of Public Health, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Chang-Hai Tang
- School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- School of Business, NingboTech University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jia Song
- School of Management, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Cheng-Xin Fan
- School of Management, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Wan-Chen Wang
- School of Public Health, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Zhong-Ming Chen
- School of Management, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
| | - Wen-Qiang Yin
- School of Management, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, China
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Sun B, Guo H, Xu L, Ding F. How Does Teachers' Psychological Capital Influence Workplace Well-Being? A Moderated Mediation Model of Ego-Resiliency and Work-Meaning Cognition. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:14730. [PMID: 36429448 PMCID: PMC9690617 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies found that teachers' psychological capital positively affects their workplace well-being. However, the underlying internal mechanism behind this relationship remains ambiguous. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of ego-resiliency and work-meaning cognition on this relationship among Chinese teachers. The questionnaire, including the psychology capital scale (PCS), workplace well-being subscale (WWBS), Psychological Empowerment Scale (PESS), and Ego-Resiliency Scale (ERS), was used to collect data points from 1388 primary and secondary school teachers. The results reveal that: (1) teachers' psychological capital positively predicts workplace well-being; (2) work-meaning cognition mediates the relationship between teachers' psychological capital and workplace well-being; (3) the influence of work-meaning cognition on the relationship between teachers' psychological capital and workplace well-being is moderated by ego-resiliency. These findings explore the factors that affect well-being and point to potential ways to enhance teachers' workplace well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binghai Sun
- Research Center of Tin Ka Ping Moral Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
- College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
- College of Education and Human Development, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Hongteng Guo
- Research Center of Tin Ka Ping Moral Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
- College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
- College of Education and Human Development, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Luyun Xu
- College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Fujun Ding
- Research Center of Tin Ka Ping Moral Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
- College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
- College of Education and Human Development, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Education Technology and Application of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
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Kaltenbrunner KA, Stötzer S, Grüb B, Martin S. Individual-based and interactional resilience mechanisms in social and healthcare service NPOs during the COVID-19 pandemic: Handling a disruptive extreme context in Austria. Front Psychol 2022; 13:897790. [PMID: 36017444 PMCID: PMC9397379 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.897790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
While Austrian social and healthcare service nonprofit organizations (NPOs) are key performers in the COVID-19 pandemic, we also notice their vulnerability in terms of struggling with this disruptive extreme context. The particularity of disruptive extreme contexts is that organizations commonly can neither anticipate them, nor prepare specific countermeasures or specialized resources for fighting against them. Thus, we regard organizational resilience based on non-specialized resources as an appropriate approach for dealing with (the struggles of) disruptive extreme contexts. Organizational resilience refers to an organization's ability to resist disruptive extreme contexts while maintaining and adapting functionality and ultimately learning from these extreme contexts by mobilizing and accessing the required resources, behaviors and capabilities. Based on 33 expert interviews with NPO top and middle managers we aim to explore individual-based and interactional resilience mechanisms of NPOs in the pandemic. The qualitative content analysis yielded to following results: Individual personality traits (e.g., pragmatisms, flexibility) and attitudes (serenity and optimism) constitute individual-based resilience mechanisms. Moreover, a shared (crisis) understanding (e.g., common sense of direction), social connectedness (e.g., team cohesion) and managerial staff orientation (e.g., a caring attitude) as interactional resilience mechanisms helped to maintain and adapt NPOs' functioning. Overall, this study reinforces the multilevel nature of resilience in terms of the crucial combination of individual and interactional resilience mechanisms for facing adversity. Moreover, it emphasizes the evolving nature of resilience in terms of the required time for, e.g., building trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Anna Kaltenbrunner
- Department of Strategic Management & Organization, Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- *Correspondence: Katharina Anna Kaltenbrunner
| | - Sandra Stötzer
- Department of Public and Nonprofit Management, Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Linz, Austria
| | - Birgit Grüb
- Department of Management Accounting, Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Linz, Austria
| | - Sebastian Martin
- Department of Health, Social and Public Management, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Linz, Austria
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Chu Y, Zhang Y, Wang S, Dai H. Resilience mediates the influence of hope, optimism, social support, and stress on anxiety severity among Chinese patients with cervical spondylosis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:997541. [PMID: 36213904 PMCID: PMC9539388 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.997541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cervical spondylosis (CS) is a potential stressor threatening mental health among affected individuals. This study was to analyze resilience level and associated factors among cervical spondylosis (CS) patients, and to explore the underlying mechanism of anxiety based on resilience-focused psychological variables. METHODS Resilience Scale-14 (RS-14), Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Herth Hope Index (HHI), Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) were used in this cross-sectional investigation among 250 CS patients. RESULTS The score of resilience was 65.58 ± 16.14. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed that hope, optimism, perceived social support, perceived stress, and whether having comorbid chronic diseases were the independent associates of resilience among CS patients, which explained 63.9% of the total variance. The structural equation model showed that hope, optimism, perceived social support and perceived stress affected anxiety via resilience, and hope and optimism also had direct effects on anxiety. CONCLUSION Chinese patients with CS had moderate level of mental resilience, which was independently related to hope, optimism, perceived social support, perceived stress, and whether having comorbid chronic diseases. Resilience played a mediating role between various psychological variables and anxiety. Improving the level of resilience, hope, optimism and perceived social support and reducing the level of perceived stress are important strategies to reduce anxiety level. Relevant healthcare professionals should put more focus on the mental problems of Chinese CS patients and help maintain good psychological status by improving their resilience and associated psychological variables thereof.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuying Chu
- School of Nursing, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
| | - Yuqiang Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
| | - Suyan Wang
- Centre for Mental Health Guidance, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
| | - Hongliang Dai
- School of Nursing, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China
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