A Moderated Mediation Model of the Influence of Cynical Distrust, Medical Mistrust, and Anger on Vaccination Hesitancy in Nursing Staff.

During the pandemic, nurses experienced anger that stemmed from a sense of threat, frustration, or even a sense of injustice. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between vaccination hesitancy, anger, cynicism, and medical mistrust among nurses, as there are no relevant studies in the literature. This study was conducted online by completing self-report questionnaires. The Dimensions of Anger Reactions-5, the 8-item "Cynical Distrust" scale, and the Medical Mistrust Multiformat Scale were used. For vaccination hesitancy, two questions with a 5-point scale were used: one question examining hesitancy to get vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, and another question examining hesitancy to get vaccinated with the influenza vaccine. In total, 387 nurses (66 men and 321 women) participated in this study. Nurses showed statistically greater hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine compared to hesitancy toward the influenza vaccine. The variation in vaccine hesitancy was explained by the scores in the Medical Mistrust Multiformat Scale, the Dimensions of Anger Reactions, and the Cynical Distrust Scale. The Medical Mistrust Multiformat Scale mediated the relationship between the Cynical Distrust Scale and total vaccine hesitancy. The Dimensions of Anger Reactions Scale significantly moderated the indirect effect of the Cynical Distrust Scale on total vaccine hesitancy through the Medical Mistrust Multiformat Scale. In conclusion, it is highly likely that anger is involved in reported vaccine hesitancy both by activating schemas of distrust in others and by adopting anti-systemic views of mistrust in the medical system.

Family support, anger and aggression in health workers during the first wave of the pandemic.

Introduction: Anger is considered as one of the basic human emotions, constituting the affective component of aggression. In the first year of the pandemic, the intense pressure on healthcare workers resulted in the deterioration of their psychosocial problems. Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between family support, anger, and aggression. Methods: The present study included physicians and nurses who completed an online survey of Dimensions of Anger Reactions-5 (DAR-5), a Brief Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ) and a Family Support Scale (FSS). Before completing the questionnaires, participants were asked to state their gender, years of work, age, and profession. Results: Fifty-three men and 190 women participated in the study. Almost one-third of the participants had a positive score on the DAR-5 scale. Male participants displayed lower DAR-5 scores compared to women. Female participants displayed lower FSS scores compared to men, but higher scores when compared with earlier measures. Regression showed that 15.2% of the variance in BAQ scores can be explained by DAR-5 scores, with an additional 3.8% explained by FSS scores, while an additional 2.3% is explained by years of working experience. Mediation analysis highlighted the role of family support as a negative mediator in the DAR-5 and BAQ relationship. Conclusion: During the first year of the pandemic, there was an increase in the sense of family support among female health workers. One-third of the participants displayed increased anger scores. Family support acts as a mediator by preventing anger derailing into aggression. In healthcare worker support programs, it seems necessary to entail a specific section on anger management.

Anger and Aggression in Relation to Psychological Resilience and Alcohol Abuse among Health Professionals during the First Pandemic Wave.

Mental health problems, behavior changes, and addictive issues have been consistently documented among healthcare workers during the pandemic. The objective of this study was to investigate the levels of anger and aggression in relation to psychological resilience and alcohol abuse among healthcare workers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 120 physicians and 123 nurses completed an online survey of the Dimensions of Anger Reactions-5 (DAR-5), the Brief Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and the Alcohol Screening questionnaire CAGE which is an acronym for the focus of the questions (Cutting down, Annoyance by criticism, Guilty feeling, and Eye-openers). Demographic and professional data were also recorded. A total of 53 men and 190 women participated in the study. Almost one-third of the participants had a positive score on the DAR-5 scale and one out of ten respondents presented with current problematic alcohol use. Male participants demonstrated lower scores on the DAR-5 scale compared to females. Individuals with current problematic alcohol use displayed higher scores on the BAQ compared to those without alcohol use disorders. Regression analysis revealed that 16.4% of the variance in the BAQ scores can be attributed to scores on the DAR-5, 5.9% to the BRS scores, 2.1% to the CAGE scores, 1.7% to gender, and 1.2% to years of work experience. Mediation analysis highlighted the role of psychological resilience as a negative mediator in the DAR-5 and BAQ relationship. Professional experience and alcohol abuse emerged as positive and negative risk factors contributing to aggression and psychological resilience. The findings hold practical implications for implementing interventions to strengthen resilience in order to compensate for aggressive tendencies and discourage addictive issues.

Aggression, Alexithymia and Sense of Coherence in a Sample of Schizophrenic Outpatients.

Schizophrenia elevates the risk for aggressive behavior, and there is a need to better understand the associated variables predicting aggression for treatment and prevention purposes. The aim of the present study is to determine the relationship between alexithymia, sense of coherence and aggressive behavior in a sample of schizophrenic outpatients. Using a correlational research design, standardized self-report questionnaires assessed aggression (brief aggression questionnaire­BAQ), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale­TAS) and sense of coherence (sense of coherence questionnaire­SOC) in a sample of 100 schizophrenic outpatients in clinical remission. Participants reported high levels of aggression and alexithymia along with reduced sense of coherence. Significant negative correlations were evidenced among scores on the SOC scale (p < 0.001) with both the TAS as well as with the BAQ scales. However, a positive correlation (p < 0.001) was observed between the TAS and BAQ scales. Regression indicated that 27% of the variation in the BAQ rating was explained by the TAS, while an additional 17.8% was explained by the sense of coherence. The difficulty identifying feelings of alexithymia and the comprehensibility and manageability components of sense of coherence significantly predicted anger, hostility and physical aggression. Sense of coherence mediated the relationship between alexithymia and aggression. From the path analysis, comprehensibility emerged as the key factor counterbalancing alexithymic traits and aggressive behaviors, and manageability effectuated higher anger control. The findings hold practical implications for the treatment and rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients.