Transforming Shame in the Pandemic: An International Study.

Shame is an unconscious, somehow unattended and neglected emotion and occurs when individual and socio-cultural norms are violated. It often impacts negatively on the self and others across cultures. During the Covid-19 crises, shame has become an important emotion with a powerful effect, depending on how it is experienced within the socio-cultural context. This article explores shame in international perspectives in the context of Covid-19 and addresses the question how shame is transformed from an existential positive psychology (PP2.0) perspective. The study uses a qualitative research paradigm and explores shame and its transformation during Covid-19. Purposeful and snowball sampling was used. The sample consisted of 24 individuals (16 female, 8 male), of 13 different nationalities. Data were collected from written interviews and analyzed through thematic analysis. Ethical considerations were followed; ethical approval was given by a university. Findings show that participants become very worried, anxious, scared, sad, and shocked when they or individuals in their close relationships contracted Covid-19. Shame plays an important role during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the meaning and experience of shame during Covid-19 is strongly dependent on the socio-cultural background of the individual who is experiencing the disease. Individuals use different strategies and mechanisms to deal with and transform shame in the context of Covid-19.

Women experiencing and transforming terror and death anxiety during COVID-19

During times of crises, humanistic-existential experiences can become extreme in terms of how individuals cope with negative emotions. Research during the year 2020 has shown that on the one hand, women are more challenged on different levels than men with regard to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, women leaders have shown high-quality leadership to guide nations through the crisis. This study sought to explore the humanistic-existential experiences of women through the terror management theory and from a qualitative perspective. It used a qualitative research paradigm with a hermeneutical research approach and purposeful and snowball sampling. The sample consisted of 16 women aged between 22 and 81 years and of 10 different nationalities who encountered COVID-19 themselves or experienced it in their family, colleagues, or friends. Data were collected from qualitative questionnaires/written interviews and analyzed through content analysis. Data are reported in a qualitative reporting style;quality criteria are presented and limitations discussed. Ethical considerations are addressed. Findings show that women are impacted by negative emotions, in particular anxiety and fear, which they cope with in different ways and which contribute to their meaning making. Conclusions and recommendations for future research and psychological practice are given. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Women experiencing and transforming terror and death anxiety during COVID-19

During times of crises, humanistic-existential experiences can become extreme in terms of how individuals cope with negative emotions. Research during the year 2020 has shown that on the one hand, women are more challenged on different levels than men with regard to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, women leaders have shown high-quality leadership to guide nations through the crisis. This study sought to explore the humanistic-existential experiences of women through the terror management theory and from a qualitative perspective. It used a qualitative research paradigm with a hermeneutical research approach and purposeful and snowball sampling. The sample consisted of 16 women aged between 22 and 81 years and of 10 different nationalities who encountered COVID-19 themselves or experienced it in their family, colleagues, or friends. Data were collected from qualitative questionnaires/written interviews and analyzed through content analysis. Data are reported in a qualitative reporting style;quality criteria are presented and limitations discussed. Ethical considerations are addressed. Findings show that women are impacted by negative emotions, in particular anxiety and fear, which they cope with in different ways and which contribute to their meaning making. Conclusions and recommendations for future research and psychological practice are given. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

The Palgrave handbook of humour research

This Handbook provides new perspectives on humour from transdisciplinary perspectives. It focuses on humour as a resource from different socio-cultural and psychological viewpoints and brings together authors from different cultures, social contexts and countries. The book will enable researchers and practitioners alike to unlock new research findings which give new directions for contemporary and future humour research. By employing transdisciplinary and transcultural perspectives, the volume further discusses humour in regard to different cultural and political contexts, humour over the lifespan, in therapy and counselling, in pedagogical settings, in medicine and the workspace. The contributions also highlight the connections between humour and the COVID-19 pandemic and promise new inspiring insights. Researchers, practitioners and students in the fields of industrial and organisational psychology, positive psychology, organisational studies, future studies, health and occupational science and therapy, emotion sciences, management, leadership and human resource management will find the contributions highly topical, insightful and applicable to practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

"Who could breathe without hope..." Shame and shaming 4.0 during COVID-19 and beyond

The aim of this text is to develop specific theses on the interrelation between shame and shaming in the face of the corona pandemic. It refers to global and diverse cultural contexts and, from the perspective of Positive Psychology 2.0, pays particular attention to the efforts made by individuals and collectives to constructively manage and transform this crisis. As pointed out by different scholars during the previous year, the crisis evolved an immense physical, mental, emotional, social and economic challenge and has contemporarily massive legal socio-economic, cultural, political and humanitarial consequences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Cross-Cultural Comparison of Mental Health Between German and South African Employees: Shame, Self-Compassion, Work Engagement, and Work Motivation.

The negative impact of the coronavirus disease outbreak 2019 (COVID-19) on work mental health is reported in many countries including Germany and South Africa: two culturally distinct countries. This study aims to compare mental health between the two workforces to appraise how cultural characteristics may impact their mental health status. A cross-sectional study was used with self-report measures regarding (i) mental health problems, (ii) mental health shame, (iii) self-compassion, (iv) work engagement and (v) work motivation. 257 German employees and 225 South African employees have completed those scales. This study reports results following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. T-tests, correlation and regression analyses were performed. German employees had lower mental health problems and mental health shame, and higher self-compassion than South Africans. Mental health problems were positively associated with mental health shame and amotivation, and negatively associated with work engagement and intrinsic motivation in both groups. Lastly, self-compassion, a PP 2.0 construct, was the strongest predictor for mental health problems in both countries. Our results suggest (i) that German culture's long-term orientation, uncertainty avoidance and restraint may help explain these differences, and (ii) that self-compassion was important to mental health in both countries. While the levels of mental health differed between the two countries, cultivating self-compassion may be an effective way to protect mental health of employees in those countries. Findings can help inform managers and HR staff to refine their wellbeing strategies to reduce the negative impact of the pandemic, especially in German-South African organizations.