Psychological distress, optimism and emotion regulation among Israeli Jewish and Arab pregnant women during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is a vulnerable period for women, and it is especially so under the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas there is some evidence for distress among pregnant women during the outspread of COVID-19, little is known about the second wave of the pandemic. We therefore sought to examine the contribution of background variables, ethnicity (Jewish, Arab), personal resources (optimism, emotion regulation), and COVID-19-related anxieties to pregnant Israeli women's psychological distress. METHOD: A convenience sample of 1127 Israeli women was recruited from 5 July to 7 October 2020. RESULTS: Not having an academic degree, lower economic status, being an Arab woman, poorer physical health, lower levels of optimism and cognitive reappraisal, higher levels of emotion suppression and COVID-19-related anxieties all contributed significantly to greater psychological distress. Finally, ethnicity moderated the relationship between optimism and emotion suppression and the woman's level of psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The findings reveal risk and resilience factors associated with the psychological distress of pregnant women during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the potentially greater vulnerability of women from a minority group, showing that ethnicity plays a central role in the way personal resources are related to psychological distress at such times.

A comparison of COVID-19 vaccination status among pregnant Israeli Jewish and Arab women and psychological distress among the Arab women.

The public debate surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine is especially intense regarding pregnant women, who are concerned with its effects on themselves and their fetus, and a vulnerable at-risk population for psychological distress. We aimed at describing differences in vaccination status between pregnant Jewish and Arab women and understanding factors contributing to psychological distress among Arab women. Pregnant women (n = 860) aged 19-46 completed self-report questionnaires during the national vaccination program (March-April 2021). The questionnaires related to background, COVID-19-related vaccination status and intentions in this regard, COVID-19-related anxiety, and the Mental Health Inventory-Short Form. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t- and chi-square tests, Pearson correlations, and a hierarchical regression. Considerably fewer Jewish women had been infected and more were vaccinated than Arab women. Poorer health, lower economic status, being a mother, not being vaccinated, higher anxiety over economic damage, a family member being infected, delivery, and raising the baby contributed to higher distress. Findings offer novel insights for nurses in their efforts to encourage vaccination, highlighting the need to understand women's concerns during the vulnerable period of pregnancy.

Acculturative Stress among Arab Students in Israel: The Roles of Sense of Coherence and Coping Strategies.

BACKGROUND: In Israeli colleges and universities, many Arab students experience acculturative stress. Such stress arises from the need to learn new cultural rules, manage the overarching conflict inherent in maintaining elements of their culture of origin (i.e., Arab culture) while incorporating elements of the host culture (i.e., Jewish academic culture), and deal with experiences of prejudice and discrimination present in the host culture. METHODS: This study investigated the association between acculturative stress and depressive symptoms among 170 Arab undergraduates from northern and central Israel. It also explored the roles of sense of coherence and coping strategies in the relationship between acculturative stress and depressive symptoms. Participants completed questionnaires on acculturative stress, depressive symptoms, sense of coherence, coping strategies, and demographics. RESULTS: The findings reveal gender differences in the use of different coping strategies and in levels of depressive symptoms. However, academic-year differences were found only in levels of sense of coherence and depressive symptoms. Specifically, female students expressed higher levels of both active and avoidant coping. Moreover, female students and those in their first and second years of university studies reported higher levels of depressive symptoms. Among the male students, acculturative stress was related to depressive symptoms indirectly via sense of coherence and active coping. In contrast, among the female students, acculturative stress was related to depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly via sense of coherence and avoidant coping. Among first- and second-year students, acculturative stress was related to depressive symptoms indirectly via sense of coherence and avoidant coping. However, among third- and fourth-year students, acculturative stress was related to depressive symptoms both directly and indirectly via sense of coherence. CONCLUSIONS: This article underscores the significance of gender and academic-year differences in pathways involving acculturative stress.