Perceived Stress, Psychological Flexibility Profiles, and Mental Health During COVID-19: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Purpose: Although the link between psychological flexibility and healthy functioning has been widely analyzed, the employed measurements often lacked accuracy. The current study introduced a person-centered approach that identified subgroups of college students across the dimensions of the Personalized Psychological Flexibility Index (PPFI) and explored how these subgroups relate to a risk factor (perceived stress) and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, negative affect, and positive affect) in the context of COVID-19. Methods: A sample of 659 participants (Mage = 19. 99, SD = 1.27; 57.97% females) completed the questionnaires online. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was employed to determine the optimal number of subgroups or profiles. Then, multinomial logistic regression and analyses of variance were used to identify variables associated with profile membership. Results: LPA identified three distinct profiles (active strategy, inconsistent strategy, and passive strategy). Furthermore, multinomial logistic regressions indicated that students with high perceived stress were more likely to be in the passive strategy group than the active strategy group (ß = -0.104, OR = 0.901, p < 0.001) and the inconsistent strategy group (ß = -0.087, OR = 0.917, p < 0.001). Additionally, analyses of variance revealed that the three profiles differed in depression (η2 = 0.062, p < 0.001), anxiety (η2 = 0.059, p < 0.001), negative affect (η2 = 0.047, p < 0.001), and positive affect (η2 = 0.048, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The current study employed LPA based on the PPFI to identify and confirm three profiles of psychological flexibility. We found that perceived stress and mental health outcomes were associated with these three profiles. This study offers a new perspective on understanding psychological flexibility through a person-centered approach. Furthermore, interventions aimed at reducing college students' perceived stress during the COVID-19 crisis are critical for preventing the deterioration of psychological flexibility.

Burnout among behavior analysts in times of crisis: The roles of work demands, professional social support, and psychological flexibility

Background The purpose of this study was to apply the Job-Demands Resources model as a framework to examine the relationship between work demands and burnout among behavior analysts working in human service settings during the Covid-19 pandemic. We specifically investigated the work demands-burnout relationship and how psychological flexibility, supervisor support, and coworker support related to burnout, whether as moderators or as mediators of work demands. Method A sample of 298 ABA practitioners participated in a cross-sectional investigation in April-May 2021 and reported sociodemographic and job-related characteristics, information about the impact of Covid-19 on work, work demands, psychological flexibility, supervisor support, and coworker support. We conducted regression-based analyses of moderation and multiple mediation. Results Greater work demands predicted higher levels of exhaustion and disengagement. Psychological flexibility and supervisor support partially mediated the influence of work demands on exhaustion and burnout;neither moderated the influence of work demands on exhaustion or burnout. Coworker support did not function as a moderator or mediator in the work demands-burnout relationship. Conclusions Findings highlight the need for effective caseload management and supervision practices, along with initiatives that create opportunities for increased, positive interaction with supervisors and among colleagues. Providing psychological flexibility skills training may benefit behavior analysts as a burnout management strategy. As a personal resource, however, it may be insufficient to mitigate burnout in times of crisis when work demands are higher than usual. Organizations should consider multi-faceted burnout interventions that address personal and workplace factors to both increase personal/job resources and reduce job demands.

The mediating role of psychological flexibility in the association of autistic-like traits with burnout and depression in medical students during clinical clerkships in Japan: a university-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Burnout and depression among medical students is linked to serious problems that require appropriate solutions. Subthreshold autism traits or autistic-like traits (ALTs) may be possible factors associated with burnout and depression. The effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for burnout and depression has been widely reported. The treatment aims to improve psychological flexibility, a concept indicating engagement in personal value-based behaviors without avoiding uncomfortable private experiences. This study examined whether ALTs were associated with burnout or depression among medical students during clinical clerkships in Japan, and then investigated what psychological flexibility processes might mediate these associations. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 284 medical students at Nagoya City University School of Medical Sciences who had been in clinical clerkships for 10 months or longer. Linear multiple regressions were performed with each burnout factor or depression as the outcome variable using validated tools measuring burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), ALT (Autism-Spectrum Quotient Japanese version-21), and psychological flexibility processes (Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire-7 and Valuing Questionnaire). Additionally, a mediation analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: A linear multiple regression analysis that controlled for age and gender found that ALTs were significantly associated with lower personal accomplishment, a factor of burnout, and depression. Lower personal accomplishment was also associated with males and lower progress toward values of the psychological flexibility process. Depression was also associated with males and higher cognitive fusion, lower progress towards values, and higher obstruction to values of the psychological flexibility process. Surprisingly, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were not significantly associated with ALTs. The mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between ALTs and personal accomplishment was partially mediated by a process of progress toward values, while the relationship between ALTs and depression was partially mediated by both processes of progress toward values and cognitive fusion. CONCLUSIONS: ALTs were significantly associated with lower personal accomplishment of burnout and depression among medical students in clinical clerkships. Consideration should be given to the psychological flexibility processes that focus on interventions targeting psychological flexibility for medical students with ALTs to reduce burnout and depression.

Identification of psychological flexibility and inflexibility profiles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The first coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) wave and lockdown adversely affected the lives of people in diverse ways. AIMS: This study used a person-centered approach to identify patterns of engagement in the 12 psychological flexibility (PF) and inflexibility (PI) processes to manage the first COVID-19 wave and lockdown hardships. MATERIALS & METHODS: A total of 1035 Italian adults completed an online survey. RESULTS: Latent profile analyses conducted on the 12 PI/PF processes measured by the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory identified five profiles; three reflected gradations of high to low PF with corresponding inverse levels of PI, while two represented more complex relationships between PI and PF. After controlling for relevant socio-demographic and COVID-19/lockdown factors, the five profiles differed in mental health (depression, anxiety, and COVID-19 distress). Essentially a gradient of progressive decreases in all PI processes (except experiential avoidance) corresponded with increments in mental health across all profiles. Two profiles, which evidenced the highest levels of mental health (highly flexible and moderately flexible profiles), also had the greatest proportion of the sample 56.42% (n = 584), and the highest levels of PF and experiential avoidance. DISCUSSION: Findings from this and similar studies suggest intersecting complex relationships among the PI/PF processes that are likely to shift in response to changing contexts. We suggest this network of relationships is better represented by a three-dimensional PF/PI hexaflex than a simplistic two-dimensional depiction of the model. CONCLUSION: Distinguishing different PF/PI profiles identified groups most at risk for the adverse mental health impacts of the pandemic and exposed variations in the mental health protective and risk roles of PF and PI processes, respectively, that can inform ACT-based mental health promotion interventions.

Efficacy of a single-session online ACT-based mindfulness intervention among undergraduates in lockdown amid COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has trickle down effects psychologically on multiple strata of society, particularly university students. Apart from the worry of contracting or spreading COVID-19, Malaysian university students were also locked down in campuses, suffering significant psychological distress. Hence, an online mindfulness intervention was proposed to alleviate psychological distress and improve psychological flexibility and mindfulness. METHODS: The study was a quasi-experimental study, with university students as participants. Intervention group participants were instructed to fill up online questionnaires which included basic demographics, as well as instruments assessing depression, anxiety, stress, mindfulness, psychological flexibility and fear of COVID-19 before and after the one-hour intervention. The control group completed pre- and postquestionnaires then subsequently crossed over to the intervention group. Repeated measures ANOVA was performed to assess time*group effects. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 118 participants were involved in this study. There was significant difference in terms of anxiety (F(1, 116) = 34.361, p<.001, partial eta-squared = .229) and psychological flexibility between these two groups ( F(1, 116) = 11.010, p = .001, partial eta-squared = .087), while depression, stress, mindfulness and fear of COVID-19 showed no difference. Results of this study corroborates the efficacy of online single session mindfulness therapy as a viable short-term psychological intervention amidst financial and time constraint. As university students are in the age group of highest incidences of depressive and anxiety disorders, it is crucial to utilize resources to address as many students as possible to ensure maximal benefit.

Mediating role of psychological flexibility in the effect of obsessive-compulsive symptoms on sleep quality among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Front-line nurses suffered unprecedented mental distress and severe insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Present study aimed to explore the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and sleep quality and examine the potential mediating role of psychological flexibility between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and sleep quality. A total of 496 nurses from a Chinese large-scale Class 3 A Comprehensive Hospital were included in an online cross-sectional survey and completed the revised obsessive-compulsive inventory (OCI-R), Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). As predicted, obsessive-compulsive symptoms were negatively associated with psychological flexibility and sleep quality, and psychological flexibility was positively associated with sleep quality. In addition, the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and sleep quality was partially mediated by psychological flexibility, which can provide some reference for the treatment of the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and insomnia, and lead to improvements in clinical and psychotherapy planning.

The moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the relationship between burnout and COVID-19 stress in nurses

While nurses generally report high levels of burnout (The Joint Commission, 2020), often due to the post-traumatic stress associated with nursing, the International Council of Nurses (2021) noted an increase in the number of nurses reporting burnout during COVID-19. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been suggested as an intervention strategy for burnout as psychological flexibility, a key outcome of ACT, is correlated with lower burnout among nurses. The goal of this study was to examine whether psychological flexibility moderated the relationship between COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress and burnout. Fifty-three nurses from the United States completed a survey that measured their levels of burnout, secondary-traumatic stress, COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress, and psychological flexibility, as well as a variety of demographic and COVID-19 related factors. Results of a moderation analysis indicated that, while there was a significant, positive correlation between COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress and burnout, psychological flexibility did not significantly moderate that relationship. These results are vital for clinicians and organizations dedicated to helping nurses, indicating that a commonly-used method for reducing and preventing burnout would likely not be time or cost-effective for nurses during a global health crisis such as COVID-19. It is possible that this study?s small sample size contributed to the non-significant findings and brings into question the generalizability of this study to larger groups of nurses. Future research ought to focus on whether there is enough nuance between the questionnaires used to measure the general post-traumatic stress associated with nursing and event-specific post-traumatic stress, such as that associated with COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Psychometric Properties of the Coronavirus Stress Measure with Malaysian Young Adults: Association with Psychological Inflexibility and Psychological Distress.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in multiple physical and psychological stressors, which require quantification and establishment of association with other psychological process variables. The Coronavirus Stress Measure (CSM) is a validated instrument with acceptable validity and reliability. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the CSM in a Malaysian population. University participants were recruited via convenience sampling using snowball methods. The reliability and validity of the Malay CSM (CSM-M) were rigorously evaluated, utilising both confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis, in relation to sociodemographic variables and response to the depression, anxiety, and stress subscales of the Malay validation of the DASS-21, and also perceived stress (measured by the PSS) and psychological flexibility (AAQ-II). The sample comprised of 247 Malaysian participants. The McDonald's omega value for the Malay CSM was 0.935 indicating very good internal reliability. The CSM was significantly correlated with stress, anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and psychological flexibility. The Malay CSM properties were examined also with Rasch analysis, with satisfactory outcomes. There was positive correlated error between items 1 and 3, as well as negative correlated error between items 1 and 4. Hence, item 1 was excluded, leaving with 4 items. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated good data-model fit, and model fit statistics confirmed that Malay CSM showed a single-factor model. The Malay CSM hence demonstrates good validity and reliability, with both classical and modern psychometric methods demonstrating robust outcomes. It is therefore crucial in operational and research settings in establishing the true extent of stress levels as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Psychological flexibility prospectively predicts COVID-19 PPE use across a two-month interval.

Perceived susceptibility, psychological flexibility and health behaviors (PPE use, social distancing) were measured at two time points spaced 2 months apart during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in the U.S.A (Time 1 April 2020; Time 2 June 2020). Demographic variables were also collected. Data from 151 Mturk workers indicated that Time 1 psychological flexibility significantly predicted PPE use and social distancing. The effect sizes were substantial. Perceived susceptibility was not a significant predictor. Psychological flexibility messaging and interventions could be an important way to increase the likelihood of people performing health protective behaviors to better constrain the continuing COVID-19 outbreak.

Evaluating an ACT-Based Brief Intervention for Educators Treatment Package on Reported Well-Being and ACT-Consistent Language in the Classroom.

Educators continue to experience stress and burnout, both of which have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and there continues to be a need to develop interventions that support not only educators' well-being, but a climate within school buildings that fosters psychological well-being for students and school staff alike. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is one promising approach to interventions for both educator and student psychological well-being. The present study sought to evaluate the effect of a low-dosage, online, and remotely delivered ACT intervention for educators on self-reported burnout, psychological flexibility, ACT knowledge, and frequency of use of ACT-consistent language while teaching in an alternative educational setting. The ACT-based intervention targeted the development of educator psychological flexibility, but the analysis provided an evaluation of non-targeted participants' use of ACT-consistent language in the classroom, as well. Results suggest an overall improvement in participants' self-reported burnout and psychological flexibility, an increase in participants' ACT knowledge following each phase of the study, and an increase in the frequency of ACT-consistent language for all participants following the onset of a feedback component. We discuss potential implications of practical ACT-based interventions for educators in an applied setting and related increases in ACT-consistent verbal stimuli within the classroom setting.

COVID-19 and processes of adjustment in people with persistent pain: the role of psychological flexibility.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the current study was to investigate facets of Psychological Flexibility (PF) and Psychological Inflexibility (PI) and their relations with depression, anxiety, and insomnia in people with chronic pain during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was predicted that the full set of facets would significantly predict all three outcomes. The relative contributions of differing facets and dimensions was explored. METHODS: Participants with pain were selected from a sample of 1,657 Swedish adults responding to an online survey of health and COVID-19. Persistent pain was defined as pain on most days, present for three months or more. A total of 560, 33.8% of the total sample, were included in the analyses. Standardized and validated measures were used to measure depression, anxiety, and insomnia, and the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI) was used to measure both PF and PI. RESULTS: Significant rates of depression, anxiety, and insomnia, at 43.1, 26.4, and 64.2%, respectively, were found in this sample. These rates appear higher than those found in a general sample in Sweden. PF was negatively associated with these problems while PI was positively associated with them. Better prediction of outcome was obtained by PI compared to PF. CONCLUSIONS: PF and especially PI appear to have played a role in relation to health outcomes in people with persistent pain during the COVID-19 pandemic. This group of people appears to have been especially vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic. This study motivates further investigation and development of treatment approaches, possibly focusing on training PF, for people with persistent pain in the current pandemic context and in the future.

Psychological flexibility as a predictor of mental health outcomes in parents of pre-school children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A two-year longitudinal study.

In light of the adverse mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for parents of preschool-aged children, it is important to identify modifiable protective factors that can inform interventions for parents who continue to struggle. The present study examined prospective and concurrent associations of parental psychological flexibility (acceptance, defusion, and committed action) with measures of parental stress and depression symptoms in an international sample of parents of preschoolers assessed at three time points over the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic: The start of the pandemic (T1) as well as the end of the first (T2) and second (T3) year of the pandemic. Consistent with hypotheses, the three measures of parent psychological flexibility (assessed at T2) prospectively predicted parenting stress levels one year later (T3) (p < .05). Defusion and Committed Action also prospectively predicted lower levels of depression symptoms one year later [p < .05]. Comparable concurrent analyses of data of parents who provided data at T1 and T2 (N = 79) are also presented with acceptance and defusion negatively associated with parental stress (p < .001) and defusion negatively associated with depression (p < .05). This study contributes longitudinal evidence for the value of psychological flexibility for parents and suggests that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy interventions may help to support parental mental health during sustained periods of stress such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The role of psychological flexibility in the relationships between burnout, job satisfaction, and mental health among nurses in combatting COVID-19: A two-region survey.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic is adversely impacting the mental health and well-being of frontline nurses worldwide. It is therefore important to understand how such impact can be mitigated, including by studying psychological capacities that could help the nurses regulate and minimize the impact. AIM: To examine the role of psychological flexibility in mitigating the adverse impacts of burnout and low job satisfaction on mental health problems (i.e., anxiety, depression, and stress) and well-being among the frontline nurses in Hong Kong and Switzerland during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, two-region survey study. METHOD: Four hundred fifty-two nurses from Hong Kong (n = 158) and Switzerland (n = 294) completed an online survey. An adjusted structured equation model was used to examine the interrelationship of the constructs. RESULTS: Psychological flexibility was found to partially mediate the effects of job satisfaction on mental well-being (ß = 0.32, 95% CI [0.19, 0.57], p = 0.001) and mental health problems (ß = -0.79, 95% CI [-1.57, -0.44], p = 0.001), respectively. Similarly, this partial mediation was found in the effects of burnout on mental well-being (ß = -0.35, 95% CI [-0.89, -0.15], p = 0.002) and mental health problems (ß = 0.89, 95% CI [0.48, 3.65], p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Psychological flexibility could be a crucial psychological resilience factor against the adverse impact of nurses' burnout on their mental health problems and well-being during COVID-19. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Organizational measures should focus on fostering psychological flexibility in nurses through highly accessible, brief psychotherapeutic interventions, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, to reduce the impact on mental health.

Anxiety and Psychological Flexibility in Women After Childbirth in the Rooming-in Unit during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has intensified perinatal anxiety disorders. Psychological flexibility (PF), considered a specific mental toughness, has not been examined with regard to its relationship with anxiety in women after childbirth. We aimed to compare levels of anxiety, PF, and pain in women depending on the mode of birth, parity, and the magnitude of risk of developing an anxiety disorder. We also investigated the association of anxiety with PF and pain. METHODS: A total of 187 women after childbirth completed validated questionnaires for anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety, Numerical Rating Scale for anxiety [NRS-A]), PF, and pain (Numerical Rating Scale for pain). Specific postpartum anxieties were assessed with a numerical scale from 0 to 10. The relationship of anxiety with PF and pain was examined. Women at low and high risk of developing anxiety disorder were compared in terms of PF, anxiety, and pain. RESULTS: On the second postpartum day, women after cesarean birth demonstrated significantly greater anxiety on NRS-A and pain than those after vaginal birth. Primiparous women experienced significantly greater anxieties and pain compared to multiparous women. The higher the PF patients demonstrated, the less anxiety and pain they had. Patients at high risk of developing an anxiety disorder had a lower level of PF (P < .001) and higher levels of anxiety (P < .001) and pain (P < .01) than patients at low risk of developing an anxiety disorder. No difference in the anxiety of getting COVID-19 was observed between the groups (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: PF is an important psychological construct related to the mental and physical condition of women after childbirth. Increasing PF in women after childbirth may be considered as an important goal of preventive and intervention measures.

The moderating effect of psychological flexibility on the relationship between burnout and COVID-19 stress in nurses

While nurses generally report high levels of burnout (The Joint Commission, 2020), often due to the post-traumatic stress associated with nursing, the International Council of Nurses (2021) noted an increase in the number of nurses reporting burnout during COVID-19. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been suggested as an intervention strategy for burnout as psychological flexibility, a key outcome of ACT, is correlated with lower burnout among nurses. The goal of this study was to examine whether psychological flexibility moderated the relationship between COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress and burnout. Fifty-three nurses from the United States completed a survey that measured their levels of burnout, secondary-traumatic stress, COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress, and psychological flexibility, as well as a variety of demographic and COVID-19 related factors. Results of a moderation analysis indicated that, while there was a significant, positive correlation between COVID-19-specific post-traumatic stress and burnout, psychological flexibility did not significantly moderate that relationship. These results are vital for clinicians and organizations dedicated to helping nurses, indicating that a commonly-used method for reducing and preventing burnout would likely not be time or cost-effective for nurses during a global health crisis such as COVID-19. It is possible that this study?s small sample size contributed to the non-significant findings and brings into question the generalizability of this study to larger groups of nurses. Future research ought to focus on whether there is enough nuance between the questionnaires used to measure the general post-traumatic stress associated with nursing and event-specific post-traumatic stress, such as that associated with COVID-19. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Adaptive Potential of Students of Different Age Groups During a Pandemic

Introduction. This paper demonstrates the importance of studying adaptive potential in students during a pandemic and its parameters as a basis for mental health and psychological well-being. The authors describe the structure and key parameters of adaptive potential in their relation to hardiness. This study aimed to investigate associations of psychological flexibility as a predictor of adaptability with other manifestations of adaptation mechanisms. This paper brings new insights into the dynamics of adaptability at different stages of adolescence. Methods. The study sample comprised 67 students aged 18 to 24 years (Mean ± SD = 20.7 ± 1.8). Diagnostic instruments: (a) the Hardiness Survey by S. Muddy, (b) Young Schema Questionnaire, YSQ-S3R, (c) Ways of Coping Questionnaire, WCQ, by R. Lazarus, and (d) Clinical Questionnaire for Detection and Evaluation of Neurotic States by K. K. Yakhin and D. M. Mendelevich. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27 software. Methods of mathematical statistics: Pearson’s correlation coefficient, parametric Student’s t-test, and Mann–Whitney U-test for independent samples. Results and Discussion. Correlation analysis showed the existence of strong inverse correlations of hardiness with maladaptive schemas, including ‘vulnerability’, ‘distrust’, ‘submission’, ‘failure’, ‘rigid standards’, ‘dependence/helplessness’, and ‘defectiveness’, as well as neurotic states and coping strategies. Therefore, the authors identified two contradictory trends in adaptation to the COVID-19 pandemic in different age groups. The scales of early maladaptive schemas (EMS) and coping strategies have numerous positive correlations, except for the ‘decision planning’ strategy, which correlates negatively with certain schemas. The authors consider EMS as a manifestation of psychological rigidity, which reduces adaptive potential. The absence of pronounced maladaptive schemas increases adaptive potential. There is a positive age-related dynamics in the development of individual adaptation capabilities. The resistance indicator increases and the EMS manifestation decreases with age. © 2022, Russian Psychological Society. All rights reserved.

In the shadow of COVID-19: A randomized controlled online ACT trial promoting adolescent psychological flexibility and self-compassion.

Background: Although some adolescents managed to cope well with the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the well-being of many was adversely affected due to school closures, distance education, restrictions on gathering with friends, and limited access to mental health services. Many adolescents reported increased anxiety and depression as well as decreased psychological wellbeing due to the pandemic. Consequently, there is a need for psychological support that exceeds the strained resources available to schools to support young people during times of crisis and societal pressure. Objective: The present study aimed to explore the effects of an online-delivered ACT intervention to promote adolescent psychological flexibility and self-compassion and decrease psychological distress during the second wave of COVID-19 in the fall of 2020. Methods: A total of 348 adolescents aged 15-16 were randomly divided into three equal groups: 1) the iACT student coach + virtual coach group, n = 116; 2) the iACT virtual coach group, n = 116; and 3) the control group with no intervention, n = 116). Among these adolescents, 234 participated in a pre-measurement (iACT, n = 154; control, n = 80; intent-to-treat) and completed measures of psychological flexibility, self-compassion, anxiety, and depression. Results: An investigation of all the adolescents who participated in the pre-measurement (intent-to-treat analysis, n = 234) revealed no significant differences between the three groups with regard to psychological flexibility, self-compassion, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, upon combining the two intervention groups and examining the adolescents who completed at least 30% of the Youth Compass program (per-protocol analysis, n = 137), small but significant differences between the iACT intervention and control groups were found regarding the psychological flexibility subscale valued action, self-compassion, and anxiety in favor of the intervention group. Conclusions: Active use of an ACT-based online intervention under adverse circumstances may decrease symptoms of anxiety and increase psychological flexibility skills in adolescents.

Health, well-being, and persisting symptoms in the pandemic: What is the role of psychological flexibility?

Finding psychological factors that can reduce the substantial impact of COVID-19 on mental and physical health is important. Here we replicate and expand a previous study regarding the role of psychological flexibility (PF) in this context. We employed a comprehensive and well validated measure of PF and examined its role in relation to health outcomes and persistent post COVID-19 symptoms. 1174 participants completed standardized measures of depression, anxiety, insomnia and the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI), and reported the presence of persistent symptoms associated with "long COVID." All PF and psychological inflexibility (PI) facets, except for acceptance, correlated with the three mental health outcomes and with persistent symptoms. PF and PI accounted for significant variance in depression, anxiety, and insomnia after adjusting for background and health status variables. A notable finding was the particularly stronger correlations obtained for the PI facets. Our findings emphasize the potentially mitigating effects of PF on mental ill health, as well as the particularly aggravating effects of PI, in the pandemic context. A novel finding is the significant association of PI with persisting symptoms of COVID.

The Persian version of the psychological flexibility in sport scale: a psychometric study.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing body of research suggesting that psychological flexibility (PF) is an important psychological construct related to psychological health and human performance. The Psychological Flexibility in Sport Scale (PFSS) is the first general scale to assess sport-related PF. So far, the PFSS has not yet been validated in other contexts than Sweden. Therefore, the current study sought to investigate a Persian version of the PFSS (P-PFSS) and extend the investigation of the psychometric properties of the PFSS in Iranian athletes. METHODS: A total of 302 athletes from both team and individual sports (average age of 20.7 years, SD ± 7.5, 62.3% were female) were involved in the current study. Statistical analysis was performed on the data to test validity and reliability. The validity of the P-PFSS was tested through face and content validity, construct validity, criterion validity, and known-groups validity. The reliability of P-PFSS was verified through internal consistency and temporal stability of the scale. RESULTS: Results revealed that validity of the P-PFSS was satisfactory. The instrument was determined to have strong face and content validity. With modifications, the confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the scale's unidimensionality. The convergent validity of the P-PFSS was found to be acceptable (average variance extracted = 0.66) and satisfactory results were also found in the correlation matrix for the assessment of construct validity. The P-PFSS showed good criterion validity related to generic psychological flexibility and athletic-related variables. Also, the P-PFSS was able to differentiate PF between known groups. The P-PFSS was found to be reliable, with good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92; composite reliability = 0.92) and temporal stability on retest (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.95). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the Persian version of the PFSS showed good psychometric qualities in Iranian athletes. The current study provides additional support for the PFSS and extends the context-specific utility for practitioners and researchers in assessing sport-related PF.

Shifting to Online Learning Through Cognitive Flexibility

The chapter presents a review of the approaches to cognitive flexibility as an ability, behaviour, and executive function in psychology and neuroscience. In education, it was used to develop cognitive flexibility theory, which is treated as a pedagogical tool to enhance learners' information processing skills. The chapter also stresses the importance of cognitive flexibility in the context of transformation to distance learning in two universities of Russia and one in Turkey during the coronavirus pandemic in Spring-Fall 2020 when faculty members were forced to use flexible and creative solutions and approaches to resume the discontinued in-person learning online and maintain it.