Psychological considerations when attending for mammography screening

The pandemic led to a pause in routine breast screening in the UK, with up to one million not being offered appointments (Breast Cancer Now, Almost one million women in UK miss vital breast screening due to COVID-19, 2022). However, according to a Nuffield report, even before this, breast cancer screening in the UK had yet to reach its 'optimal performance standard of 80%' (Nuffield, Cancer screening-quality watch, 2022). In usual times, this has meant that with screening rates in excess of 70%, over two million women have been screened annually in the UK. However, breast cancer is also the most common cancer in women in the UK (Office for National Statistics, Cancer registration statistics, 2017), with 85% survival 5 years after diagnosis (Office for National Statistics, Cancer survival in England - adults diagnosed 2019) and it remains clear that screening can help reduce breast cancer mortality (Office for National Statistics, Cancer registration statistics, 2017). So why would 25% or more fail to accept an invitation for a routine mammogram which may ultimately help save their lives? This chapter considers a range of psychological factors relevant to understanding this phenomenon and hopefully bring about a positive change. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2015, 2022. All rights reserved.

Communication Modalities, Personality Traits, and Change in Perceived Control Over Social Life Following Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Older Americans.

We examined associations between change in social contact communication modalities and change in perceived control over social life (PCOSL) following onset of the COVID-19 pandemic among older Americans and evaluated the extent to which associations were moderated by personality. Data were from the 2016 and 2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Multivariate ordinary least squares regression analyses were computed adjusting for baseline PCOSL, sociodemographic, health, and psychosocial factors. Multiple moderation analyses revealed that extraversion moderated the association between change in social media communication and change in PCOSL before to during COVID-19. As levels of engagement in social media communication increased, those with high extraversion experienced increases in PCOSL, whereas those with low extraversion experienced decreases in PCOSL. Findings suggest that social interventions targeting perceived control and communication modality may be useful for older adults during global health events and that personality characteristics can help to inform intervention choices.

It's all about control: Sense of control mediates the relationship between physical activity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

COVID-19-related burden has a significant impact on mental health and has led to an increase of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Physical activity has been suggested to mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic and to foster mental health. The present study aimed to investigate, whether sense of control might mediate the supposed beneficial effects of physical activity on positive (PMH) and negative mental health (NMH) in unpredictable extraordinary situations. Data were assessed in a sample of 568 students (M age = 19.90, SD age = 4.52) from Germany via an online survey in fall 2020. Mediation analyses revealed that sense of control mediated the relation between physical activity and PMH as well as depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, respectively. The findings indicate that physical activity may be a promising strategy for fostering sense of control and thus mental health. Due to its practical implications and practicability, engagement in physical activity could be an effective way to reduce the NMH consequences of the current COVID-19 situation, and therefore should be addressed in actions for long-term prevention and intervention.

The impact of fear of external threats on unethical pro-organizational behavior

Within the context of the current global economic crisis, employees generally have a high level of fear that may lead them to use unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) to increase their sense of control. We used self-control theory to explore the mechanisms and boundary conditions of employees' fear of external threats and how this affects their levels of UPB. We conducted a twowave survey of 544 finance personnel in China. The results indicated that fear of external threats was positively correlated with UPB and that sense of control mediated this relationship. Perceived ethical climate reinforced the negative relationship between sense of control and UPB, which, in turn, weakened the positive effect of participants' sense of control, whereas fear of external threats increased the incidence of UPB. Implications are discussed.

"What does not kill you mutates and tries again." A study on personality determinants of post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic was recognized as a collective trauma and as a major threat to mental health. Recent literature focused on the stress symptomatology or post-traumatic stress disorder associated to the COVID-19 exposure. The concept that people have a natural inclination toward growth, even under stressful and threatening events, gathered less attention. Previous research has analyzed antecedents of post-traumatic growth (PTG) with non-conclusive results. Methods. The present research aimed at including findings on PTG from personality traits, i.e., sense of control and self-mastery, and distal condition of nurturance and support received by others, i.e., cognitive and affective well-being. Analyses were based on 4934 interviews with adults (Mage = 57.81 years, 55.5% women) from the Swiss Household Panel study. Results. Relationships over time emerged between sense of control and self-mastery on PTG and worries, measured after two years, via the mediation of cognitive and affective well-being. Conclusion. Results come from a large study in a design seldom employed in this type of research and can inform both research and interventions.

"What does not kill you mutates and tries again." A study on personality determinants of post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic was recognized as a collective trauma and as a major threat to mental health. Recent literature focused on the stress symptomatology or post-traumatic stress disorder associated to the COVID-19 exposure. The concept that people have a natural inclination toward growth, even under stressful and threatening events, gathered less attention. Previous research has analyzed antecedents of post-traumatic growth (PTG) with non-conclusive results. Methods. The present research aimed at including findings on PTG from personality traits, i.e., sense of control and self-mastery, and distal condition of nurturance and support received by others, i.e., cognitive and affective well-being. Analyses were based on 4934 interviews with adults (Mage = 57.81 years, 55.5% women) from the Swiss Household Panel study. Results. Relationships over time emerged between sense of control and self-mastery on PTG and worries, measured after two years, via the mediation of cognitive and affective well-being. Conclusion. Results come from a large study in a design seldom employed in this type of research and can inform both research and interventions.

Maintaining psychological well-being amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: The beneficial effects of health-promoting behaviors and sense of control.

The present research reports the findings of three studies, with objectives to demonstrate the impacts of health-promoting behaviors on psychological well-being as well as the mediating roles of sense of control (SOC) and perceived severity of COVID-19 in these relationships. Study 1 was a cross-sectional survey conducted in 473 middle-aged and older Chinese adults before the COVID-19 pandemic to assess their health-promoting behaviors, personal mastery and perceived constraints, life satisfaction, and depressive symptoms. Study 2 was conducted during the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong (between March to April 2020), in which 292 participants from Study 1 were successfully contacted to report their emotional responses to the pandemic. Using a different sample, Study 3 was a longitudinal study that measured 495 participants' health-promoting behaviors, personal mastery and perceived constraints at baseline, and their perceived severity and mental health outcomes during the outbreak of omicron cases in Hong Kong (i.e., the fifth wave of the COVID-19 outbreak) in March 2022. All three studies demonstrate that the beneficial effects of health behaviors can be extended to psychological well-being and reveal possible underlying mechanisms through enhancing one's SOC and lowering perceived severity of the COVID-19 outbreak. These results provide important insights to future health promotion programs for improving psychological resources and psychological well-being of middle-aged and older adults in face of disease-related threats.

COVID-19 Booster Vaccination Bellwethers: Factors Predictive of Older Adults' Adoption of the Second Booster COVID-19 Vaccine in Israel: A Longitudinal Study.

Israel became the first country to offer the second COVID-19 booster vaccination. The study tested for the first time, the predictive role of booster-related sense of control (SOC_B), trust and vaccination hesitancy (VH) on adoption of the second-booster among older adults, 7 months later. Four hundred Israelis (≥60 years-old), eligible for the first booster, responded online, two weeks into the first booster campaign. They completed demographics, self-reports, and first booster vaccination status (early-adopters or not). Second booster vaccination status was collected for 280 eligible responders: early- and late-adopters, vaccinated four and 75 days into the second booster campaign, respectively, versus non-adopters. Multinomial logistic regression was conducted with pseudo R2 = .385. Higher SOC_B, and first booster early-adoption were predictive of second booster early-vs.-non-adoption, 1.934 [1.148-3.257], 4.861 [1.847-12.791]; and late-vs.-non-adoption, 2.031 [1.294-3.188], 2.092 [0.979-4.472]. Higher trust was only predictive of late-vs.-non-adoption (1.981 [1.03-3.81]), whereas VH was non-predictive. We suggest that older-adult bellwethers, second booster early-adopters, could be predicted by higher SOC_B, and first booster early-adoption, 7 months earlier.

How Does COVID-19 Risk Perception Affect Sense of Control? The Roles of Death Anxiety and Confucian Coping.

This research examined the impact of COVID-19 risk perception on sense of control, testing the hypotheses that COVID-19 risk perception would reduce sense of control and that this effect would be mediated by death anxiety and moderated by Confucian coping. A series of six studies were conducted with Chinese participants (N = 2202) and employed different research designs in lab and real-life settings. Across the studies, we found that the perceived risk of COVID-19 impaired sense of control. Studies 3a to 5 further revealed that death anxiety mediated the adverse effect of COVID-19 risk perception on sense of control, and Studies 4 to 5 revealed that Confucian coping strategies alleviated the adverse effect of COVID-19 risk perception on sense of control. These findings shed new light on the psychological impact of risk perception in times of crisis and identify mitigating factors and boundary conditions.

Less sense of control, more anxiety, and addictive social media use: Cohort trends in German university freshmen between 2019 and 2021

The COVID-19 outbreak brought many challenges for everyday life that could affect mental health. The present study investigated cohort trends of sense of control, anxiety symptoms and (addictive) social media use (SMU) in German university freshmen between 2019 (before the pandemic outbreak) and 2021 (after the pandemic outbreak). Data of overall 1,378 freshmen (three cohorts: 2019: N = 407, 2020: N = 563, 2021: N = 408) were collected by online surveys. The comparison of the three cohorts revealed a significant decrease of sense of control from 2019 to 2021 (effect size: Cohen's d = 0.29 to 0.36). In contrast, anxiety symptoms (d = 0.25 to 0.28), time spent daily on SMU (d = 0.18 to 0.36), and addictive SMU (d = 0.26 to 0.31) increased. In all cohorts, we found the same result patterns. Anxiety symptoms and the SMU variables were significantly positively correlated (r = 0.171 to 0.469, p <.001). Sense of control was significantly negatively correlated with the other assessed variables (r = -0.112 to -0.279, p <.05 and p <.001). Moreover, anxiety symptoms mediated the relationship between sense of control and addictive SMU. Thus, the COVID-19 outbreak and its consequences for daily life could affect the sense of control, anxiety symptoms and addictive SMU of freshmen in Germany. Potential ways how to protect young people against these potential negative effects are discussed. © 2022

How health beliefs and sense of control predict adherence to COVID-19 prevention guidelines among young adults in South Korea.

This study defined adherence to COVID-19 prevention guidelines as health behavior and examined whether the two constructs of the health belief model (i.e., perceived susceptibility and perceived severity) and sense of control predict the level of adherence among young adults in South Korea. An online survey (N = 200) conducted in June 2021, showed that perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and sense of control positively predict adherence behavior. Sense of control significantly moderated the relationship between perceived susceptibility and adherence even after controlling for depression and perceived health status. Specifically, individuals with a lower level of perceived susceptibility still adhered to COVID-19 prevention guidelines if they had a higher level of sense of control. The finding demonstrates the key role of sense of control in promoting adherence to COVID-19 prevention guidelines and the relationship between sense of control and two constructs of the health belief model. Implication for public messaging targeted at young adults during pandemic situations is also discussed.

Neuroticism and fear of COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic: Testing the mediating role of intolerance of uncertainty and sense of control among Chinese high school students.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2019, neuroticism has been proven a predictor of fear of COVID-19 infection. However, only few studies have been conducted on the factors affecting the relationship between neuroticism and this kind of fear. The present study is aimed at analyzing the role intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and sense of control (SOC) play in relation to neuroticism and the fear of COVID-19. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Guangdong and Guangxi provinces, China, and we collected complete datasets from 792 high school students. The main results can be described as follows: (a) individuals with high neuroticism tended to have higher intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and a lower sense of control (SOC); (b) IU and SOC played a mediating role between neuroticism and fear of COVID-19, and a serial mediation effect was found between these factors; (c) after controlling for both IU and SOC, the effect of neuroticism on fear was no longer significant. The results suggested a critical role of IU and sense of control in the causal relationship between neuroticism and fear.

Sense of Control and Depression during Public Health Restrictions and the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Depression rates have increased significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a number of factors implicated in this increase, including stress, fear, social isolation and the psychological impact of public health restrictions. The main purpose of the current cross-sectional survey study was to examine the relationship between the experience of public health restrictions, the sense of control and depression, both during and after restrictions were lifted. A survey methodology was chosen, with data collected in the Republic of Ireland at two time points (January 2022 and May 2022). Time 1 participants (n = 314) were invited to repeat the measures 5 months later, with 172 agreeing to be recontacted, and 47 participants completing all measures at two time points. Findings showed that both the sense of control, in relation to perceived constraints, w = 0.43, and the experience of restrictions, w = 0.14, predicted depression at Time 1. Participants were less likely to be depressed at Time 2 and had a stronger sense of control. The Time 1 sense of control through perceived constraints predicted depression at Time 2, w = 0.45. Overall, these data show that public health restrictions and the sense of control are linked and that the sense of control has a powerful and long-lasting effect on depression status in restricted conditions, even once these have been lifted.

Financial literacy and quality of life: a moderated mediation approach of fintech adoption and leisure

Purpose>This study explores the relationship between financial literacy and quality of life (QoL). The study further examines the mediating effect of fintech adoption and the moderating effect of leisure on the relationship between financial literacy and QoL.Design/methodology/approach>Using convenience sampling, 345 respondents participated in a cross-sectional survey. To test the moderated mediation hypotheses, the PROCESS macro was used.Findings>The results reveal the mediating effect of fintech adoption on the relationship between financial literacy and QoL, highlighting the importance of digital literacy in an increasingly digitalized society. Moreover, leisure moderates the mediating relationship. Individuals with high leisure are more likely to perceive the uncertainties and risks associated with new technology optimistically – an observation supported by existing literature on the relationships among leisure, perceived freedom, and internal locus of control.Practical implications>Financial literacy must incorporate digital literacy in order to utilize innovative technology for more efficient financial management. Additionally, having a sense of control over life outcomes can lead to well-being.Originality/value>Previous research on fintech adoption is mostly related to financial inclusion for the unbanked population in underprivileged rural areas. Here, fintech usage by the general public is the focus. The study also reveals the significance of leisure, as those who have high financial literacy are more likely to adopt fintech when they have more freedom in their lives, which leads to higher QoL.Peer review>The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2021-0633.

Mental health and psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-cultural comparison of Japan, Malaysia, China, and the U.S.

BACKGROUND: The current study examined how psychological resilience acted as a buffer against mental health deterioration during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted an online survey in four countries (Japan, Malaysia, China, and the U.S.) to examine how psychological resilience functions toward the maintenance of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We collected data from 1583 citizens from four countries via an online survey between October 14 and November 2, 2020. We gathered demographic data and measured mental distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) and fear of COVID-19. Data on sense of control, ego-resilience, grit, self-compassion, and resilience indicators were also collected. RESULTS: Sense of control was negatively associated with mental distress in all four countries. Self-compassion was negatively associated with mental distress in the samples from Japan, China, and the U.S. We also found an interaction effect for sense of control: the lower the sense of control, the stronger the deterioration of mental distress when the fear of COVID-19 was high. LIMITATIONS: This study's cross-sectional design precludes causal inferences. Further, lack of data from people who were actually infected with the virus limits comparisons of people who were and were not infected. Finally, as this study only compared data from four countries, comparisons with more countries are needed. CONCLUSIONS: A sense of control and self-compassion may help buffer against mental health deterioration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sense of control was consistently associated with mental health across cultures.

Acute stress disorder and job burnout in primary and secondary school teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating effect of sense of control.

The study aim was to examine the relationship between acute stress disorder and job burnout among primary and secondary school teachers, and to explore the moderating effect of sense of control on this relationship. A total of 751 teachers completed self-report questionnaires during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that acute stress disorder, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization were significantly lower in female teachers than in male teachers. Age was positively associated with acute stress disorder and negatively associated with inefficacy. Acute stress disorder was significantly and positively associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions of job burnout. The relation between acute stress disorder and inefficacy was moderated by sense of control: acute stress disorder was positively associated with inefficacy when the sense of control was strong and was negatively associated with inefficacy when the sense of control was weak. These findings demonstrate that acute stress disorder is a risk factor for job burnout, and that sense of control is a protective factor for some aspects of job burnout. However, in individuals with a strong sense of control, acute stress disorder is associated with greater inefficacy, suggesting that sense of control can both positively and negatively affect burnout.

Comparative evaluation of the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on perinatal experience: A prospective multicentre study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare in the early postpartum the perinatal experience during a COVID-19 related lockdown ('lockdown' group) and a pandemic control group subject to looser restrictions. DESIGN AND SETTING: This national multicentre prospective cohort study took place in four French maternity units. POPULATION: Women were recruited during the postpartum stay for the lockdown and pandemic control groups, according to their enrolment period. Both faced the same labour and delivery restrictions but only the pandemic control group could have a postpartum visitor. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was the perinatal experience during childbirth, assessed by the Labour Agentry Scale (LAS) self-administered questionnaire, completed before discharge. RESULTS: The study included 596 women and analysed 571 of them: 260 in the lockdown group and 311 in the pandemic control group. The mean LAS score was lower in the lockdown group (161.1 ± 26.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 157.8-164.3 versus 163.3 ± 24.0, 95% CI 160.6-166.0; P = 0.289). In multivariable analysis, the LAS score was lower in the lockdown group (-6.2 points, P = 0.009), in women with caesarean (-21.6 points, P < 0.001) versus spontaneous deliveries, and among women financially impacted by the lockdown (-6.4 points, P = 0.007) or who experienced restrictions during childbirth (-8.1 points, P < 0.001). The LAS score rose with the prenatal care quality score (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The perinatal experience was more negatively affected by lockdown restrictions than by the looser pandemic restrictions for controls, but mode of delivery remained the main factor influencing this experience.

Self-efficacy and Use of Digital Health Care and Social Welfare Services Among Incarcerated People: Cross-sectional Survey Study

Background: The digitization of health care and social welfare services creates many opportunities for the rehabilitation of incarcerated people and their preparation for release from prison. A range of digital platforms and technology solutions have been developed that offer multiple opportunities to handle private matters either by video conference, email, or some other digital format during imprisonment. However, incarcerated people have limited access to digital health care and social welfare services, and face challenges related to shortcomings in their digital skills and self-efficacy. Objective: This article assessed the significance of incarcerated people’s self-efficacy in terms of their sense of control over the use of digital health care and social welfare services. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire. Research data were collected from 11 prisons in different parts of Finland, and a total of 225 incarcerated people responded to the survey. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, 2-tailed t test, linear regression analysis, and Hayes bootstrapping method. Results: The results showed the significance of both general and internet-specific self-efficacy, which appear to be more important for the use of digital health care and social welfare services than factors related to a person’s socioeconomic background or sentence. Age was negatively correlated with perceived control over the use of digital health care and social welfare services. Furthermore, the study emphasized the importance of support from family and friends, as well as prison employees. Conclusions: The digitalization of prisons offers many opportunities, but special consideration should be given to how the digitization of health care and social welfare services responds to the needs of incarcerated people in terms of their integration into society and the prevention of recidivism. During imprisonment, attention should be paid to strengthening the digital skills of incarcerated people, with support provided by prison employees. In addition to providing guidance on the use of individual digital services, the study recommends strengthening the general digital skills of incarcerated people, as well as developing their life management skills.

Compassion‐focused therapy group for men with intellectual disabilities who had maladaptive conceptualisations of masculinity

Purpose>The purpose of this paper is to determine the effectiveness of an adapted compassion-focused therapy (CFT) group treatment programme for individuals with an intellectual disability (ID), specifically aimed to help address maladaptive conceptualisations of masculinity.Design/methodology/approach>Outcome measurements were competed at pre- and post-group and the effectiveness of the intervention were assessed using a Wilcoxon signed ranks test.Findings>Findings demonstrated that the treatment group showed significant differences in their “gender role conflict” subscales including the Success, Power, Control and “Restrictive Affectionate Behavior Between Men” subscales;however, no significant differences were found on the Restrictive Emotionality or Conflicts Between Work and Leisure subscales. Furthermore, no significant differences were found on participants psychological well-being, psychological distress, anxiety, self-compassion or quality of life measures.Research limitations/implications>Limitations include that a lack of qualitative information regarding outcomes, a lack of control group and a small number of participants may have impacted the outcome of the research.Practical implications>The Men’s Masculinity group had a positive impact on the participant’s sense of success, power and control, so it could be considered that this group enabled participants to feel more powerful and in control of their difficulties which is associated with the “drive” system of CFT.Originality/value>Overall, this study adds to the small but growing literature that supports using CFT groups as a stand-alone psychological intervention when working with people with an ID.

How Positive and Negative Emotions Promote Ritualistic Consumption Through Different Mechanisms.

Ritualistic consumption refers to integrating ritual elements into the process of product design and usage. By conducting three studies, we find that ritualistic consumption can offer new and interesting experiences and help consumers gain a sense of control. Both positive and negative emotions can promote ritualistic consumption tendencies. However, their underlying psychological mechanisms are different. Specifically, positive emotion can arouse consumers' desire for interesting experience and thus promotes their preference for ritualistic consumption, while negative emotion can arouse consumers' need for control and thus promote their preference for ritualistic consumption. Our research results offer a theoretical contribution and practical inspiration for emotional marketing.