ABSTRACT
Suicide continues to be in the top leading causes of death among college students. Positive thinking has been linked to increasing health outcomes and decreasing the effects of stress. The psychometric properties of the 8-item Positive Thinking Skills Scale (PTSS) has not been tested in American college students. The study used resilience as the theoretical framework. In 131 students, internal consistency and construct validity was supported. The Cronbach's alpha of 0.86 and significant correlation with measures of suicide resilience, perceived social support, and self-esteem demonstrated good reliability and validity. The findings of the study provide directions for future suicide prevention efforts.
Subject(s)
Optimism , Psychometrics , Thinking , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Midwestern United States , Reproducibility of Results , Resilience, Psychological , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult , Suicide PreventionABSTRACT
Suicide has been the second leading cause of death for 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States since 2011. The stress experienced by undergraduate college students has the potential to increase one's risk for suicide. Resilience theory was used as a theoretical framework to examine the interplay between risk and protective factors. A cross-sectional and correlational design was used to assess the mediating effects of positive thinking and/or social support on suicide resilience in 131 college students 18 to 24 years old who completed an online survey. The study found an indirect effect of self-esteem on suicide resilience through positive thinking and social support indicating that as self-esteem increases, positive thinking and social support also increase, which leads to an increase in resilience. The study also found a direct effect of self-esteem, positive thinking, and social support on suicide resilience. The findings inform the development of tailored interventions to build suicide resilience in college students.
Subject(s)
Optimism/psychology , Social Support , Students/psychology , Suicide Prevention , Adolescent , Correlation of Data , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Resilience, Psychological , Self Concept , Suicide/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , Universities/organization & administration , Young AdultABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this descriptive exploratory study is to understand the experience of being a caregiver of a person with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the light of the resilience theory. METHODS: Qualitative data were collected as a part of a larger quantitative study. Ninety-three caregivers completed this qualitative study and responded to the two open-ended questions. In the parent study, subjects were recruited by convenience sampling from the Interactive ASD Network (IAN). FINDINGS: The identified categories appeared to reflect three distinct categories consistent with the resilience theory, labeled as follows: risk factors, protective factors, and overlapping factors. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: These findings help to inform the planning of tailored interventions to enhance caregivers' resilience.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder/nursing , Caregivers/psychology , Parents/psychology , Adult , Aged , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Protective Factors , Qualitative Research , Risk Factors , Young AdultABSTRACT
The number of deaths by suicide has increased over the last few years. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore components of resilience in adolescents who survived a suicide attempt from the perspective of nine psychiatric nurses. Resilience was used as a guiding conceptual framework which proposes that resilience is the interplay between risk and protective factors. Three categories emerged including risk factors, protective factors, and future recommendations of suicide prevention strategies. The perspectives gained from this study will help develop nursing interventions for adolescents to overcome risk factors and to build on their protective factors.
Subject(s)
Resilience, Psychological , Suicide, Attempted/psychology , Survivors/psychology , Adolescent , Attitude of Health Personnel , Female , Hospitalization , Humans , Male , Nursing Staff , Psychiatric NursingABSTRACT
The population of American elders is increasing rapidly and relocation to retirement communities has been found to adversely affect their adjustment. This pilot study of 38 relocated elders evaluated, from elders' perspectives, six critical parameters of a resourcefulness training (RT) intervention designed to help elders adjust to relocation. Within the context of Zauszniewski's theory of resourcefulness, a pre-/post-test design with random assignment to RT or to diversionary activities (DA) was used. Objective questionnaires measured demographic and relocation factors. An intervention evaluation questionnaire was designed and given to the relocated elders in order to assess the six critical parameters--necessity, acceptability, feasibility, safety, fidelity, and effectiveness. Data concerning the critical parameters were collected during structured interviews within a week after the intervention. Seventy-six of the elders who scored less than 120 in the resourcefulness scale indicated a strong need for RT. While all non-white elders reported needing RT, 43% of white elders reported the same need. Elders indicated that learning about the experiences of others and taking part in discussions were the most interesting part of the RT. Approximately 95% of participants mentioned that they learned all parts of the intervention; few suggested having a stronger leader to keep the group on track. The qualitative findings from this pilot intervention study will inform future, larger clinical trials to help recently relocated elders adjust to relocation.
