COVID-19-associated impact and post-traumatic stress symptoms 39 days after pandemic in a sample of home-quarantined Chinese college students: the mediating effecting of past stressful events, psychological resilience, and social support.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 outbreak, most Chinese college students were home-quarantined to prevent the spread of the virus. COVID-19-associated impact has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of post-traumatic symptoms disorder (PTSD). However, little is known about the psychological processes that mediate this association. This study investigated the association between COVID-19-associated impact and PTSD and examined whether past stressful events, psychological resilience, and social support have mediating effects on this association. METHODS: The 12,397 valid responses from 31cities in China via an online survey assessed PTSD symptoms, past stressful events, psychological resilience, social support and social-demographic variables. AMOS was used to test the hypotheses of mediating effects. RESULTS: On the 39th day of the declared COVID-19 epidemic in China, 6.75% of the surveyed sample showed PTSD symptoms. A positive mediating effect of past stressful events was found between COVID-19-associated impact and PTSD, whereas psychological resilience and social support had negative mediating effects. The fit indices for the path model were found to be significant (ß = 0.28, p < 0.001), COVID-19-associated impact indirectly affects the risk of PTSD through mediating pathways (past stressful events → psychological resilience → social support) on PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Attention should be paid to the effects of past stressful events of Chinese college students who were home-quarantined during the COVID-19 epidemic, and strategies should also be implemented to improve social support and develop psychological resilience. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Southwest Minzu University.

The mediating role of psychological capital in the association between life satisfaction and depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Although life satisfaction is a predictor of depressive and anxiety symptoms, the mechanisms underlying this association are poorly understood. This study examined how psychological capital (PsyCap), a positive psychological state, mediated the association between life satisfaction and depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at three medical universities in China. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 583 students. Depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, life satisfaction, and PsyCap were measured anonymously. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was performed to explore the effects of life satisfaction on depressive and anxiety symptoms. Asymptotic and resampling strategies were used to examine how PsyCap mediates the association between life satisfaction and depressive and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: Life satisfaction was positively associated with PsyCap and its four components. There were significant negative associations between life satisfaction, psychological capital, resilience, optimism, and depressive and anxiety symptoms among medical students. Self-efficacy was negatively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Psychological capital (a×b = -0.3201, BCa 95% CI: -0.3899, -0.2446; a×b = -0.2749, BCa 95% CI: -0.3817, -0.1996), resilience (a×b = -0.2103, BCa 95% CI: -0.2727, -0.1580; a×b = -0.1871, BCa 95% CI: -0.2520, -0.1414), optimism (a×b = -0.2100, BCa 95% CI: -0.3388, -0.1150; a×b = -0.1998, BCa 95% CI: -0.3307, -0.0980), and self-efficacy (a×b = -0.0916, BCa 95% CI: 0.0048, 0.11629; a×b = 0.1352, BCa 95% CI: 0.0336, 0.2117) significantly mediated the association between life satisfaction and depressive and anxiety symptoms. LIMITATIONS: This was a cross-sectional study, and causal relationships between the variables could not be ascertained. Self-reported questionnaire instruments were used for data collection, which may have recall bias. CONCLUSIONS: Life satisfaction and PsyCap can be used as positive resources to reduce depressive and anxiety symptoms among third-year Chinese medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological capital and its components (self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism) partially mediated the relationship between life satisfaction and depressive symptoms, and completely mediated the relationship between life satisfaction and anxiety symptoms. Therefore, improving life satisfaction and investing in psychological capital (especially self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism) should be included in the prevention and treatment of depressive and anxiety symptoms among third-year Chinese medical students. Additional attention is needed to pay for self-efficacy in such disadvantageous contexts.

Psychological Resilience to Trauma and Risk of COVID-19 Infection and Somatic Symptoms Across 2 Years.

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to trauma increases the risk of somatic symptoms, as well as acute and chronic physical diseases. However, many individuals display psychological resilience, showing positive psychological adaptation despite trauma exposure. Resilience to prior trauma may be a protective factor for physical health during subsequent stressors, including the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Using data from 528 US adults in a longitudinal cohort study, we examined psychological resilience to lifetime potentially traumatic events early in the pandemic and the risk of COVID-19 infection and somatic symptoms across 2 years of follow-up. Resilience was defined as level of psychological functioning relative to lifetime trauma burden, assessed in August 2020. Outcomes included COVID-19 infection and symptom severity, long COVID, and somatic symptoms assessed every 6 months for 24 months. Using regression models, we examined associations between resilience and each outcome adjusting for covariates. RESULTS: Higher psychological resilience to trauma was associated with a lower likelihood of COVID-19 infection over time, with one standard deviation higher resilience score associated with a 31% lower likelihood of COVID-19 infection, adjusting for sociodemographics and vaccination status. Furthermore, higher resilience was associated with lower levels of somatic symptoms during the pandemic, adjusting for COVID-19 infection and long COVID status. In contrast, resilience was not associated with COVID-19 disease severity or long COVID. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological resilience to prior trauma is associated with lower risk of COVID-19 infection and lower somatic symptoms during the pandemic. Promoting psychological resilience to trauma may benefit not only mental but also physical health.

A Report on the Ke Ola O Ka 'Aina: 'Aina Connectedness Scale.

Optimal health from a Native Hawaiian worldview is achieved by being pono (righteous) and maintaining lokahi (balance) with all our relations, including our relationships as Kanaka (humankind) with 'Aina (land, nature, environment, that which feeds) and Akua (spiritual realm). The purpose of this study is to explore the role of 'Aina connectedness in Native Hawaiian health and resilience to inform the development of the 'Aina Connectedness Scale. Qualitative methods were conducted with 40 Native Hawaiian adults throughout Hawai'i. Three themes emerged: (1) 'Aina is everything; (2) Connection to 'Aina is imperative to health; and (3) Intergenerational health, healing, and resilience are reflected through intergenerational connectedness with 'Aina. Qualitative findings, supplemented with a scoping review of land, nature, and cultural connectedness scales, led to the development of the 'Aina Connectedness Scale, which examined the degree to which people feel connected to 'Aina, with implications for future research. 'Aina connectedness may address concerns related to health disparities that stem from colonization, historical trauma, and environmental changes and better our understanding of Native Hawaiian health by fostering stronger ties to land. Resilience- and 'Aina-based approaches are critically important to health equity and interventions that aim to improve Native Hawaiian health.

Living through a Global Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Psychological Resilience of the University Population in Iran.

AIMS: This study aimed to describe and understand the individual and social dimensions of resiliency among Iranian academics as professionals during the early wave of the ongoing pandemic. Furthermore, we aimed to emphasize the cultural context in our analysis. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey design was adopted. We used convenient sampling, administered through an online survey, among academics at Iranian universities (n = 196, 75% women). We employed the CD-RISC 2 instrument, items on life meaning, and a modified version of Pargament's RCOPE instrument (Meaning, Control, Comfort/Spirituality, Intimacy/Spirituality, and Life Transformation). RESULTS: The results revealed a strong level of resilience among men (M = 5.78) and women (M = 5.52). Self-rated health was rated as excellent, very good, or good among a majority (92%) of the participants, more so among men. Family was one of the factors that most strongly gave life meaning, followed by friends, work/school, and religion/spirituality. There was a strong correlation between self-rated health and life as part of a greater whole, being alone, and listening to the sounds of the surrounding nature. CONCLUSIONS: Both personal and social levels of resilience and meaning-making are seen in the results, with an ability to balance between obstacles and resources. Cultural practices are interdependent, which also include the individual and social dimensions of resiliency and meaning-making.

The dynamics of discrimination, resilience, and social support in the mental health of migrants with and without citizenship.

Perceived discrimination has a significant negative impact on indices of mental health. One potential buffering factor in this is psychological resilience, which encompasses the ability to recover from or adapt successfully to adversity and use coping strategies, such as positive reappraisal of adverse events. This study examines the role of resilience as well as social support in buffering these effects in groups of migrants both with and without local residence permits. We conducted a non-experimental observational study with a cross-sectional design, collecting a variety of health variables in migrant groups in a naturalistic setting, during the COVID-19 period. The total sample consisted of 201 subjects, 88 of whom had a German residence title and 113 did not. These two groups were compared on the following variables of interest: social support, resilience, discrimination, and general mental health. There was no evidence for a difference in mental health between migrants with and without citizenship. However, our results suggested that migrants without citizenship reported less social support, less resilience, and more discrimination, which continued to have a distinct effect on mental health beyond resilience and social support. Psychological resilience mediated the link between social support and mental health, as well as being related to the perception of discrimination in the migrant group without citizenship. In conclusion, our models of migrants with and without citizenship showed that resilience specifically directly affected perceived discrimination in those without citizenship. The high levels of discrimination and lack of social support, particularly in the migrant group without citizenship, are concerning and suggest a focus for future interventions.

The relationships of preventive behaviors and psychological resilience with depression, anxiety, and stress among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A two-wave longitudinal study in Shandong Province, China.

Introduction: Studies have shown that the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to long-term health problems; therefore, more attention should be paid to the mental health of university students. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal effects of preventive behaviors and psychological resilience on the mental health of Chinese college students during COVID-19. Methods: We recruited 2,948 university students from five universities in Shandong Province. We used a generalized estimating equation (GEE) model to estimate the impact of preventive behaviors and psychological resilience on mental health. Results: In the follow-up survey, the prevalence of anxiety (44.8% at T1 vs 41.2% at T2) and stress (23.0% at T1 vs 19.6% at T2) decreased over time, whereas the prevalence of depression (35.2% at T1 vs 36.9% at T2) increased significantly (P < 0.001). Senior students were more likely to report depression (OR = 1.710, P < 0.001), anxiety (OR = 0.815, P = 0.019), and stress (OR = 1.385, P = 0.011). Among all majors, medical students were most likely to report depression (OR = 1.373, P = 0.021), anxiety (OR = 1.310, P = 0.040), and stress (OR = 1.775, P < 0.001). Students who wore a mask outside were less likely to report depression (OR = 0.761, P = 0.027) and anxiety (OR = 0.686, P = 0.002) compared to those who did not wear masks. Students who complied with the standard hand-washing technique were less likely to report depression (OR = 0.628, P < 0.001), anxiety (OR = 0.701, P < 0.001), and stress (OR = 0.638, P < 0.001). Students who maintained a distance of one meter in queues were less likely to report depression (OR = 0.668, P < 0.001), anxiety (OR = 0.634, P < 0.001), and stress (OR = 0.638, P < 0.001). Psychological resilience was a protective factor against depression (OR = 0.973, P < 0.001), anxiety (OR = 0.980, P < 0.001), and stress (OR = 0.976, P < 0.001). Discussion: The prevalence of depression among university students increased at follow-up, while the prevalence of anxiety and stress decreased. Senior students and medical students are vulnerable groups. University students should continue to follow relevant preventive behaviors to protect their mental health. Improving psychological resilience may help maintain and promote university students' mental health.

Steps toward a resilient future nurse workforce.

INTRODUCTION: The psychosocial needs of nursing students are a pressing matter as mental health disorders may affect nursing students' journeys as professional nurses. LITERATURE REVIEW: Psychological distress and burnout in nurses are threats to worldwide health care, as the stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to an unstable future global nurse workforce. DISCUSSION: Resiliency training can positively impact nurse stress, mindfulness, and resilience, as resilient nurses are better able to manage their response to stress and adversity which will contribute to positive patient outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE: Educating faculty on resilience will aid nurse educators to create new student instructional approaches to improve mental health wellness. CONCLUSIONS: Supportive faculty behaviors, self-care techniques, and resilience-building infused throughout the nursing curriculum may promote the effective transitioning of students into practice, providing the necessary foundation for improving workplace stress management and increasing longevity and satisfaction in the profession.

The Effect of Laughter Yoga on the Psychological Resilience and Sleep Quality of Nurses During the Pandemic: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses frequently experienced psychological health problems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and stress. These problems have reduced the psychological health of nurses. Primary Objective: This study aims to reveal the effect of laughter yoga on the psychological resilience and sleep quality of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: This randomized controlled trial study was carried out using an experimental research design with pre- and post-tests, including a control group. Setting: This study was conducted on nurses working in a hospital in Erzurum, located in the northeastern part of Turkey. Participants: The study involved 90 nurses, including 46 in the experimental group and 44 in the control group, between October and December 2021. Intervention: As an intervention, laughter yoga sessions were held online on Zoom for nurses in the experimental group. The experimental group was divided into three groups of 17, 17, and 16 individuals. Eight sessions of laughter yoga (two days a week for four weeks) were offered to nurses in the experimental group. Primary Outcome Measures: The Introductory Question Form, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used for data collection. Results: Laughter yoga significantly improved the resilience levels and sleep quality of the experimental group (P < .05). Conclusion: Laughter yoga can be used to improve the resilience and sleep quality of nurses.

Experiential COVID-19 factors predicting resilience among Spanish adults.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has meant for spanish citizens a constant adaptation to health measures in order to try to stop transmission of the virus. During this adaptation process, different psychosocial aspects have caused consequences for people?s mental health to a greater or lesser extent. Makes sense of an emotional torrent who has gone through fear, anxiety, loneliness and anger. The interaction between perception and reality has given rise to situations where loneliness and social isolation have been imposed and lived with a load of emotional discomfort. In others, social isolation and measures to stop the pandemic have been accepted as a protection system and has been experienced since serenity and the feeling of self-protection fostering individual resilience. Studying the predictors of resilience is going to be key since it is the ideal antidote to stop the appearance of mental disorders associated with the pandemic (such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, social phobia, cleaning obsessions, and generalized anxiety disorder). The objective of this research is to analyze the relationship between resilience and experiential COVID-19 factors. METHODS: Sample was comprised of Spanish adults (n = 1000; age 18-79 [mean =40.43],793 female, 201 male, and 2 non binary sex). These people participating in an online study focused on the impact of COVID-19 experiences. The research has been cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational design. The instrument created for this research was a specific online questionnaire, including the "Scale of resilience" (RS, Wagnild & Young, 1993, Spanish version, Sánchez-Teruel, et al., 2015). That questionnaire has been administered during the months of April 2022 to July 2022. RESULTS: The results obtained show how people who have been able to face the pandemic in a responsive and adaptive way have high resilience. Specifically, those participants that accepting the use of masks, vaccinations and confinement obtained high resilience. CONCLUSIONS: Using public funding and allocating research to the development of programs to promote resilience, adaptative beliefs and prosocial behaviors becomes basic to live in a world in constant change.

Network analysis of affect, emotion regulation, psychological capital, and resilience among Chinese males during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Previous studies have confirmed that both affect and emotion regulation strategies are closely associated with psychological capital (PsyCap) and resilience. These factors are assumed to buffer the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, especially among males. However, these interactions have not been closely examined to date. To fill this gap, this paper explores the dimension-level relationships of these psychological constructs among Chinese males during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and identified critical bridge dimensions using network analysis. Methods: A total of 1,490 Chinese males aged 21-51 years completed self-report scales assessing emotion regulation strategies, affect, PsyCap, and psychological resilience. Two regularized partial correlation networks, namely the affect and emotion regulation-PsyCap network and the affect and emotion regulation-psychological resilience network, were then constructed to examine links between the dimensions of these constructs. The bridge expected influence (BEI) index was also calculated for each node to identify important bridge nodes. Results: Positive affect, negative affect, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression showed distinct and complex links to various dimensions of PsyCap or psychological resilience. In both networks, positive affect, cognitive reappraisal, and negative affect were identified as critical bridge nodes, with the first two having positive BEI values and the third having a negative value. Conclusion: The findings elucidate the specific role of the dimensions of emotion regulation or affect in relation to PsyCap and psychological resilience, which facilitates further understanding of the mechanisms underlying these interrelationships. These findings also provide implications for developing effective intervention strategies to increase PsyCap and psychological resilience.

Protecting healthcare workers' mental health against COVID-19-related stress: The effects of stress mindset and psychological resilience.

Healthcare workers have been on the frontline of the battle against COVID-19 disease. However, this has taken a toll on them, resulting in elevated stress and poor mental health. We argue that healthcare workers' stress mindset and resilience could mitigate negative outcomes of COVID-19-related stress by helping them view this stressful situation in a more positive light and appraise it as a challenge rather than a threat. Accordingly, we hypothesized that both a stress-is-enhancing mindset about COVID-19-related stress and resilience would improve healthcare workers' appraisal of their personal resources and increase their challenge appraisals, positively contributing to their mental health. We collected data from 160 healthcare workers and performed structural equation modeling for hypothesis testing. The results indicate that both a stress-is-enhancing mindset about COVID-19-related stress and psychological resilience are indirectly related to better mental well-being and lower health-related anxiety through challenge appraisals. This study contributes to research in mental health by suggesting that protecting and promoting healthcare workers' mental health is possible by empowering them through increasing personal resources such as a positive mindset about stressful situations and resilience.

Building resilient heart center teams.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to move beyond measures to improve individual resilience but to focus on measures to achieve better team resilience. RECENT FINDINGS: The COVID pandemic, shortages of heath care workers, and subsequent viral resurgence in 2022 placed tremendous stress on pediatric healthcare systems. Much has been written about individual wellness, mindfulness, and strategies to be a more resilient individual. However, little has been written on the importance of team resilience. Resilient teams work together to overcome daily stressors and challenges. Although leaders must create and foster a collaborative culture to establish cohesive and resilient teams; it also requires tremendous institutional support. Four key factors have emerged with regards to successful team resilience: candor, humility, resourcefulness, and compassion and empathy. This article discusses the key elements required for resilient teams to not only survive but also to thrive. SUMMARY: Effective heart centers, like the symphony, are a collection of individuals all coming together to care for a child or create a singular piece of music. Heart centers without effective leaders will most certainly fail, but even with the most accomplished and passionate leaders, there must be administrative institutional support and a shared vision.

Strengthening couple functioning promotes resilience to COVID-19-related stressors among Black Americans.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in substantial hardship for Black Americans, leading to increased stress and mental health difficulties. We used longitudinal data from the Protecting Strong African American Families (ProSAAF) intervention study to test the hypothesis that improved couple functioning following ProSAAF participation would serve as a constructed resilience resource during the pandemic, buffering the impact of elevated pandemic-related stressors on change in depressive symptoms. We found that COVID-19-related stress predicted change in depressive symptoms from prepandemic to during the pandemic, that ProSAAF predicted improved couple functioning, and that positive change in couple functioning buffered the impact of pandemic stressors on change in depressive symptoms. These effects resulted in a significant indirect buffering effect of ProSAAF on the association between COVID-19-related stress and change in depressive symptoms through its effects on change in couple functioning. The results suggest that relationship intervention may increase resilience to unanticipated community-wide stress and promote mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Developmental changes in and the relationship between psychological resilience and mental health problems in adolescents relocated for poverty alleviation in the context of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control.

Background: Adolescents relocated for poverty alleviation have considerable mental health problems (MHPs) in the context of changing living environments and COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, and psychological resilience (PR) is closely related to MHPs. Existing studies have mainly used cross-sectional research to investigate the relationship between PR and MHPs using PR as a predictor variable. Objective: This study investigated developmental changes in the PR and MHPs of relocated adolescents as well as the relationship between these factors. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted to assess the PR and MHPs of 1,284 relocated adolescents. Data were collected at approximately 12-month intervals at three time points: spring of 2020 (T1), spring of 2021 (T2), and spring of 2022 (T3). The 1284 adolescents consisted of 620 males and 664 females; 787 were in the fourth grade of elementary school, 455 were in the first grade of middle school, and 42 were in the first grade of high school. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 8.1 and methods such as latent growth models and cross-lagged regression analysis. Results: (1) The PR level of relocated adolescents showed an overall increasing trend (slope = 0.16, p < 0.01), while the MHPs showed an overall decreasing trend (slope = -0.03, p < 0.01). (2) The initial PR level differed significantly from the initial MHPs level (ß = -0.755, p = 0.00), and the rate of change in PR differed significantly from the rate of change in MHPs (ß = -0.566, p = 0). The initial MHPs level differed significantly from that of PR (ß = -0.732, p = 0.00), and the rate of change in MHPs differed significantly from the rate of change in PR (ß = -0.514, p = 0.00). (3) Among the three sets of measurements of PR and MHPs, there were significant pairwise differences. Conclusion: (1) The PR level of relocated adolescents increased over time, and the MHPs of relocated adolescents decreased over time. (2) The initial PR level of relocated adolescents had a negative predictive effect on the initial MHPs level, and the rate of change in PR had a negative predictive effect on the rate of change in MHPs. (3) The PR and MHPs of relocated adolescents exhibited a bidirectional, mutually influencing relationship.

Mental Health Predictors After the COVID-19 Outbreak in Korean Adults.

The current study was conducted to investigate mental health levels in Korean adults during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and determine their predictors. The study was conducted online, and 334 adults from 14 locations in Korea participated. Data collection was conducted from May 19 to May 24, 2020, using a questionnaire consisting of general and COVID-19-related characteristics, perceived physical health, individual and community resilience, and mental health. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, t test, one-way analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression were used. In cases where women were more vulnerable to mental health problems and gender was controlled, regression analysis showed that individual resilience (ß = -0.212, p < 0.001), perceived physical health (ß = -0.160, p = 0.004), and community resilience (ß = -0.119, p = 0.031) had an effect on mental health. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, communities should screen groups vulnerable to mental health problems and develop an integrated mental health program that incorporates predictors of mental health difficulties. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health, 59(3), 18-27.].