Teacher Emotion Inventory: validación en una muestra de profesorado español / Teacher Emotion Inventory: validation in a sample of Spanish teachers

Antecedentes: La escala Teacher Emotion Inventory (TEI) es un instrumento que evalúa emociones discretas experimentadas por el profesorado en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje. El objetivo de este estudio es examinar las propiedades psicométricas de la versión breve española de la escala Teacher Emotion Inventory (TEI-BSV) en una muestra de 567 profesores (65.5% son mujeres), con edades comprendidas entre 25 y 65 años (M = 46.04; DT = 9.09). Método: Tras su adaptación mediante traducción inversa, el profesorado completó una batería que incluía el TEI-BSV, un cuestionario de inteligencia emocional, dos escalas de bienestar subjetivo, una escala sobre burnout y una escala sobre engagement. Resultados: Los resultados mostraron una consistencia interna adecuada de las subescalas del TEI-BSV. Los análisis factoriales (exploratorio y confirmatorio) proporcionaron pruebas de que el TEI-BSV tiene una estructura de cuatro factores con un buen ajuste, frente a la estructura de cinco factores original. Se han hallado evidencias de validez convergente, así como de validez criterial e incremental del TEI-BSV. Conclusiones: el TEI-BSV podría ser una herramienta útil para la evaluación ecológica de las emociones discretas del profesorado en su contexto laboral.(AU)

Background: The Teacher Emotion Inventory (TEI) scale is an instrument that evaluates discrete emotions experienced by teachers in the teaching-learning process. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the brief Spanish version of the Teacher Emotion Inventory scale (TEI-BSV) using a sample of 567 teachers (65.5% women), aged between 25 and 65 years (M= 46.04; SD= 9.09). Methods: After adaptation through back-translation, the teachers com-pleted a battery of tests included in the TEI-BSV: an emotional intelli-gence questionnaire, two subjective well-being scales, a burnout scale and a scale on engagement. Results: The data revealed adequate internal consistency of the TEI-BSV subscales, and exploratory and confirma-tory factor analyses provided evidence that the TEI-BSV has a four-factor structure with good adjustment, as opposed to the original five-factor structure proposed. There was evidence of convergent validity of the TEI-BSV, as well as criterion and incremental validity. Conclusions: The TEI-BSV could be a useful instrument for the ecological assess-ment of teachers' discrete emotions in the context of their workplace.(AU)

Stress reduction through taiji: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: In light of the mounting prevalence of stress in contemporary society and the growing interest in stress reduction methods, this review investigates the potential of taiji as a viable strategy for alleviating stress. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (CENTRAL), PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched up to April 2023 to identify randomized controlled trials of taiji. Studies in both patients and healthy populations were considered. They had to provide a measure of perceived stress and include a no treatment or placebo control group. Data were extracted by two reviewers. Pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated for perceived stress, biological stress markers, anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QoL). Meta-regression analyses were performed to identify sources of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Eleven trials with a total of 1323 patients comparing taiji to no intervention met the inclusion criteria. The included studies varied strongly with regard to patient characteristics, taiji intervention, and methodological quality. The overall SMD for perceived stress was significant at -0.41 (95% confidence interval, CI, -0.63 to -0.19; I2 = 63%). Exclusion of studies with less than 100 participants yielded a diminished SMD at -0.26 (95% CI, -0.45 to -0.06). The SMD for perceived stress at follow-up was significant (-0.25, 95% CI -0.46 to -0.05). Secondary outcomes highlighted improvements in anxiety and physical QoL, while depression, mental QoL, and biological stress markers remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Results underscore taiji's potential in mitigating perceived stress in both patients and healthy populations, paralleled by enhancements in depressive symptoms, anxiety levels, and physical QoL.

Glutamatergic supramammillary nucleus neurons respond to threatening stressors and promote active coping.

Threat-response neural circuits are conserved across species and play roles in normal behavior and psychiatric diseases. Maladaptive changes in these neural circuits contribute to stress, mood, and anxiety disorders. Active coping in response to stressors is a psychosocial factor associated with resilience against stress-induced mood and anxiety disorders. The neural circuitry underlying active coping is poorly understood, but the functioning of these circuits could be key for overcoming anxiety and related disorders. The supramammillary nucleus (SuM) has been suggested to be engaged by threat. SuM has many projections and a poorly understood diversity of neural populations. In studies using mice, we identified a unique population of glutamatergic SuM neurons (SuMVGLUT2+::POA) based on projection to the preoptic area of the hypothalamus (POA) and found SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons have extensive arborizations. SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons project to brain areas that mediate features of the stress and threat responses including the paraventricular nucleus thalamus (PVT), periaqueductal gray (PAG), and habenula (Hb). Thus, SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons are positioned as a hub, connecting to areas implicated in regulating stress responses. Here we report SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons are recruited by diverse threatening stressors, and recruitment correlated with active coping behaviors. We found that selective photoactivation of the SuMVGLUT2+::POA population drove aversion but not anxiety like behaviors. Activation of SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons in the absence of acute stressors evoked active coping like behaviors and drove instrumental behavior. Also, activation of SuMVGLUT2+::POA neurons was sufficient to convert passive coping strategies to active behaviors during acute stress. In contrast, we found activation of GABAergic (VGAT+) SuM neurons (SuMVGAT+) neurons did not alter drive aversion or active coping, but termination of photostimulation was followed by increased mobility in the forced swim test. These findings establish a new node in stress response circuitry that has projections to many brain areas and evokes flexible active coping behaviors.

How Student and Faculty Perceptions Differ on the Stressors that Medical Students Face.

OBJECTIVES: Medical education is notorious for the stress that students face as they strive to succeed both academically and clinically. This stress has been linked to declining academic performance and worsening mental health. To combat these negative outcomes, it is essential for medical school faculty and administration to address common stressors among medical students. No studies have addressed whether medical school faculty and students perceive stressors similarly, however. METHODS: In this two-part study, data collected from medical students in 2021 to 2022 to identify their most significant sources of stress were used to create a survey that queries the frequency and intensity of these stressors. This survey was distributed to medical students and faculty at the same institution. The responses between students and faculty were compared and student data also were analyzed by academic year to observe changes in perception that accompany progression through the medical curriculum. RESULTS: The results showed that faculty overestimated the impact of certain stressors on medical students (eg, in-house examinations, US Medical Licensing Examination Steps 1 and 2 examinations, and patient interactions). In addition, preclinical students were more concerned with finding extracurricular activities, missing opportunities, and performing research compared with clinical students. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that although faculty anticipated most medical student stressors, there are significant gaps that still need to be addressed to better reduce and respond to the stress experienced by medical students.

Correlation between uncertainty stress and depression among healthcare professionals in China: a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the correlation between uncertainty stress (US) and depression among healthcare professionals (HCPs) in China. DESIGN, SETTINGS AND PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted by recruiting HCPs from three provinces in China (central, eastern and western) through purposive sampling between 29 September 2022 and 18 January 2023. US was measured using the Life Stress Questionnaire and depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. In total, 2976 questionnaires were deemed valid. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME: This study examined the prevalence of US and depression among HCPs in China; the correlating sociodemographic traits; and the correlation between US and depression. RESULTS: The prevalence of US and depression among HCPs in China was 26.54% (790 out of 2976) and 71.63% (2132 out of 2976). Binary logistic analysis revealed that individuals with graduate degrees (OR: 1.83; 95% CI 1.07 to 3.11; p<0.05), central China (OR: 1.75; 95% CI 1.36 to 2.24; p<0.01), primary medical institutes (OR: 1.33; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.72; p<0.05), secondary medical institutes (OR: 1.30; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.68; p<0.05), an annual income of less than ¥50 000 (OR: 1.85; 95% CI 1.26 to 2.73; p<0.01) and an income range of ¥50 000-¥99 999 (OR: 1.49; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.03; p<0.05) were associated with a higher likelihood of US. The adjusted logistic regression model demonstrated that HCPs with higher US had a greater likelihood of depression (adjusted OR: 5.02; 95% CI 3.88 to 6.50; p<0.01). The increase in the US score was paralleled by an increased depression score (beta (B): 1.32; 95% CI 1.25 to 1.39; p<0.01). CONCLUSION: These findings reveal a significant correlation between US and depression among HCPs and suggest that improving the management of US may help reduce the prevalence of depression among HCPs.

Mobile-based mindfulness meditation intervention's impact on mental health among young male judo athletes in South Korea: a quasi-experimental study.

Young athletes commonly encounter various mental health challenges due to the distinct pressures inherent in sports environments. This study investigates the effectiveness of mobile-delivered mindfulness meditation interventions in alleviating mental health indicators of depression, perceived stress, and anxiety, and enhancing self-esteem and resilience among young male judo athletes in South Korea. Pre- and post-test questionnaires were completed by 53 judo athletes. Participants were then allocated to the intervention group (N = 27; Mage = 13.77 [SD = 1.11]), which used a mobile meditation software program, or the control group (N = 27; Mage = 13.56 [SD = 1.05]). Data analysis compared intervention and control group scores using multiple statistical methods, including independent sample t-tests, paired sample t-tests, and 2 (time) × 2 (group) repeated measures analysis of variance. Following the intervention, the mindfulness group exhibited significant enhancements in the mental health indicators of depression (GMD = 2.74 [95% CI 0.90-4.56], Cohen's D = 0.84), perceived stress (GMD = 0.35 [95% CI 0.002-0.70], Cohen's D = 0.56), and anxiety (GMD = 0.2 [95% CI 0.001-0.40, Cohen's D = 0.56]. Self-esteem also had a significant increase (GMD = 0.55 [95% CI - 0.22 to - 0.88], Cohen's D = 0.95). The findings of this study underscore the potential benefits of mobile-delivered mindfulness meditation interventions in addressing mental health challenges among young male judo athletes. The significant enhancements observed in scores on measures of depression, perceived stress, anxiety, and self-esteem among participants in the mindfulness group highlight the effectiveness of such interventions in promoting mental health in sports settings.

Assessing the mental health of slum dwellers: an ordinal logistic approach.

BACKGROUND: Stress, depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health concerns that are getting worse every day in the context of rapidly expanding megacities, where a rising number of people live in slums. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the state of mental health and related variables underlying mental health issues among the impoverished population. METHODOLOGY: A total of 384 slum residents from the Khulna division responded to our questionnaire, which included the DASS-21 and other pertinent questions. Using ordinal logistic regression, the significant factors were extracted. RESULTS: The Cronbach's reliability coefficient for the DASS-21 scale lies between 0.79 and 0.89 which indicates the high reliability of the DASS-21 scales. According to the findings, roughly 72.7%, 84.1%, and 69% of participants slum dwellers experienced anxiety, depression, and anxiety problems respectively. The result of ordinal logistic regression shows, slum dwellers of female gender (B = 0.669*, 95% CI 0.141, 1.197), married (B = 1.506*, 95% CI 0.119, 2.893), having only one earning member in the family (B = 1.224*, 95% CI 0.526, 1.922), day laborers (B = 2.294*, 95% CI 1.115, 3.473), not being able to educate children due to financial problem (B = 0.558*, 95% CI 0.183, 0.932) were more likely to report high levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. CONCLUSION: The study finds that a significant portion of people who live in slums struggle with mental health issues. It also points to the need for further support, intervention, and study on Khulna's slum inhabitants who are experiencing mental health issues. The authors anticipate that the results will spur policymakers and government representatives to enhance financing for slum dwellers and employ psychological intervention strategies, both of which will aid in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal.

Chronic unpredictable stress induces autophagic death of adult hippocampal neural stem cells.

Chronic psychological stress is a critical factor for neurological complications like anxiety disorders, dementia, and depression. Our previous results show that chronic restraint stress causes cognitive deficits and mood dysregulation by inducing autophagic death of adult hippocampal neural stem cells (NSCs). However, it is unknown whether other models of psychological stress also induce autophagic death of adult hippocampal NSCs. Here, we show that chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) for 10 days impaired memory function and increased anxiety in mice. Immunohistochemical staining with SOX2 and KI67 revealed a significant reduction in the number of NSCs in the hippocampus following exposure to CUS. However, these deficits were prevented by NSC-specific, inducible conditional deletion of Atg7. These findings suggest that autophagic death of adult hippocampal NSCs is a critical pathogenic mechanism underlying stress-induced brain disorders.

Investigating the relationship between personality traits of hardiness and perfectionism with stress and psychosomatic symptoms: a cross-sectional study among nurses in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Medical and health sector employees are always exposed to physical and psychological risk factors, which affects their personal, social and professional performance. It's important to explores the intricate interplay between personality traits, stress levels, and psychosomatic symptoms among nurses as one of the most sensitive jobs in society. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigating the relationship between the personality traits of hardiness and perfectionism with stress and psychosomatic symptoms among nurses. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 340 nurses in Mazandaran, Iran in 2022-2023. The instruments utilized to collect data included four questionnaires, namely Cubasa Hardiness Questionnaire, Tehran Multidimensional Perfectionism Questionnaire, Nursing Stress Questionnaire and Takata and Sakata Psychosomatic Questionnaire. The structural equations modeling was used for path analysis. All analyzes were done using SPSS V.25.0 and AMOS V.24.0 software. RESULTS: The results of the present study revealed that the prevalence of psychosomatic symptoms and stress in nurses was high, and all path coefficients were significant, except for the paths of commitment to stress, challenge to psychosomatic symptoms, self-orientation to psychosomatic symptoms, and community-orientation to psychosomatic symptoms. The results showed that in the final model, the highest coefficient (0.807) is assigned to the other-oriented perfectionism path to psychosomatic symptoms. The weakest coefficient (-0.276) is related to the path of the hardiness component of the challenge to stress. The current research examined the fitting of the proposed model and the suitability of the proposed model was confirmed. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study revealed that psychological factors such as personality traits of hardiness, and perfectionism are among the important and influencing parameters on occupational stress, and psychosomatic symptoms and as a result the efficiency and effectiveness of nurses in working environments. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to implement mitigating and control measures to reduce the mentioned risk factors among nurses in medical settings.

The effect of the sense of Community on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: the mediation role of a balanced time perspective.

PURPOSE: Social context and time are two dimensions within which our entire existence is embedded. Therefore, prompting a positive set of attitudes and beliefs towards these elements is fundamental for individuals' psychological well-being. Currently, there is limited understanding regarding the interplay between the sense of community and time perspective in relation to psychological distress. The present study aims, at investigating the effects that the sense of community and time perspective have on the levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. Particular attention has been dedicated to testing whether the effect of sense of community on anxiety, depression, and stress is mediated by the deviation from a balanced time perspective. METHODS: To accomplish our purposes, we asked 352 participants to complete an online survey and respond to the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), and the Multi-Dimensional Sense of Community Scale (MTSOCS). From these scales, we obtained the scores for anxiety, depression, and stress as well as a general score for the sense of community and the deviation from a balanced time perspective. We computed three General Linear Mediation Models, one for each scale of the DASS-21. RESULTS: The results showed that the relationship between sense of community and psychological distress was mediated by the deviation from a balanced time perspective extending previous findings and enriching the existing literature on time perspective. CONCLUSION: The results described so far could be applied to build a series of interventions aimed at promoting psychological well-being in the general population. Considering our findings, we suggest that individuals' health could be promoted by both improving their sense of community, which in turn would decrease their levels of stress, and by restructuring their time perspective when it became dysfunctional and unbalanced.

Care for the cerebrovascular accident survivors: experiences of family caregivers.

BACKGROUND: The role of family caregivers in the management of cerebrovascular accident survivors is invaluable. So far, there is a strong evidence affirming the effectiveness of family support for cerebrovascular accident survivors. Meanwhile, caring for cerebrovascular survivors can be labour and time intensive and pretty stressful for caregivers. The purpose of the study was to examine the lived experiences of family caregivers of cerebrovascular accident survivors in the Ho Municipality in the Volta Region of Ghana. This aims are to establish their caregivers' knowledge, preparedness, and impact of caregiving on the caregiver, and coping strategies caregivers adopted. METHODS: Using a four-item (with 14 prompts) interview guide and descriptive phenomenological approach, we gathered and analysed data from 37 family caregivers in the Ho Municipality of Ghana. RESULTS: We found that caregivers had limited knowledge about cerebrovascular disease-risk factors and were ill-prepared for their caregiving roles. Additionally, we found limited knowledge about coping strategies among the caregivers. We further report that some caregivers lost close relationships, and their jobs because of the caregiving, they also used fasting and prayer as coping strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers suffered broken relationship, loss their jobs and incomes due to their caregiving roles. Moreover, some engaged in fasting and prayers, and alcohol use to cope with the stress associated with caring for the cerebrovascular accident survivors. We discussed the potential implications of our findings on the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goal 3.4. The aim of this goal is to reduce by 75% premature deaths due to cerebrovascular and other non-communicable diseases by 2030.

Loneliness, psychological distress, and the moderating effect of positive aspects of caregiving among cancer caregivers.

PURPOSE: Family caregivers of patients with cancer often experience both loneliness and symptoms of psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between loneliness and anxiety and loneliness and depression among family caregivers of patients with cancer and to investigate whether positive aspects of caregiving can have a moderating effect on these relationships. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional exploratory study using baseline data from an ongoing multisite clinical trial. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the relationships between loneliness and psychological distress symptoms and the moderating effect of positive aspects of caregiving. Psychological distress outcomes were measured using PROMIS Short Forms (8a) for Anxiety and Depression. RESULTS: We identified a significant association between loneliness and symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Positive aspects of caregiving did not significantly moderate the relationship between loneliness and depression or loneliness and anxiety. CONCLUSION: The results of this study shed new light on the relationship between loneliness and symptoms of psychological distress experienced by family caregivers of cancer patients, providing a better understanding of the impact that recognition of positive aspects of caregiving has on the association between loneliness and psychological distress symptoms. Our findings emphasize the importance of targeting family caregiver loneliness in order to reduce psychological distress among family caregivers of cancer patients.

Perceived stress, optimism-pessimism, psychological adjustment, and death distress of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: the aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between death distress, psychological adjustment, optimism, pessimism and perceived stress among nurses working during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: this study was designed as cross-sectional/cohort. The population of the study involved 408 nurses from Northern Cyprus, which are registered as full members of the Nurse Council. The sample comprised 214 nurses, who volunteered to participate in the study. The study data was collected using a web-based online survey (Demographic form, the Coronavirus Stress Measure, The Optimism and Pessimism Questionnaire, The Brief Adjustment Scale-6, The Death Distress Scale). RESULTS: the results indicated that perceived stress significantly and negatively predicted optimism (ß = -0.21, p < 0.001) and pessimism (ß = 0.38, p < 0.001). Perceived stress had significant and positive predictive effects on psychological adjustment (ß = 0.31, p < 0.001) and death distress (ß = 0.17, p < 0.01). Further analysis results revealed that pessimism mediates the association of stress with psychological adjustment and death distress; however, optimism only mediates the effect of stress on psychological adjustment among nurses. CONCLUSION: a low level of pessimism is effective in strengthening nurses' psychological adjustment skills againt perceived stress and death distress. Nurses should consider behavioral strategies to help reduce the level of pessimism during periods such as pandemics. BACKGROUND: (1) High levels of perceived stress increased higher score of psychological adjustment. (2) Pessimism mediates the association of stress with adjustment and death distress. (3) Optimism only mediates the effect of stress on psychological adjustment among nurses.

Post-retrieval stress impairs subsequent memory depending on hippocampal memory trace reinstatement during reactivation.

Upon retrieval, memories can become susceptible to meaningful events, such as stress. Post-retrieval memory changes may be attributed to an alteration of the original memory trace during reactivation-dependent reconsolidation or, alternatively, to the modification of retrieval-related memory traces that impact future remembering. Hence, how post-retrieval memory changes emerge in the human brain is unknown. In a 3-day functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we show that post-retrieval stress impairs subsequent memory depending on the strength of neural reinstatement of the original memory trace during reactivation, driven by the hippocampus and its cross-talk with neocortical representation areas. Comparison of neural patterns during immediate and final memory testing further revealed that successful retrieval was linked to pattern-dissimilarity in controls, suggesting the use of a different trace, whereas stressed participants relied on the original memory representation. These representation changes were again dependent on neocortical reinstatement during reactivation. Our findings show disruptive stress effects on the consolidation of retrieval-related memory traces that support future remembering.

Stressful life events and the occurrence of skin cancer.

OBJECTIVE: It is widely acknowledged that emotional states can influence skin conditions, yet limited research has delved into the impact of stress on skin cancer development. This retrospective study sought to expand the perspective on skin cancer risk factors by investigating the complex relationship between stressful life events and the incidence of skin cancer. METHODS: The sample included 268 individuals followed-up in a dermatological clinic, in three groups: Patients who had previously been diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma and are currently in remission (32%), those who had been diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer (30%), and a control group who are at risk for skin cancer (38%). Participants filled in questionnaires regarding childhood and adulthood life events, and loss and gain of resources following their subjectively most stressful event in adulthood. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the associations of life events with skin cancer occurrence, and mediating and moderating effects of resource loss/gain. RESULTS: Adverse childhood experiences were associated with melanoma occurrence, with the melanoma group reporting significantly more such experiences compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Resource loss from subjectively significant stressful life events in adulthood partially mediated the association between adverse childhood experiences and melanoma incidence. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that there may be intricate connections between stress, life events, adaptation to change, and skin cancer, which future research may further unravel. This study underscores the need for a more comprehensive approach to stress management, coping strategies development, and skin cancer prevention in healthcare settings.

Unique and interactive effects of threat and deprivation on latent trait cortisol among emerging adults.

Though considerable work supports the Dimensional Model of Adversity and Psychopathology, prior research has not tested whether the dimensions-threat (e.g., abuse) and deprivation (e.g., neglect)-are uniquely related to salivary trait indicators of hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity. We examined the unique and interactive effects of threat and deprivation on latent trait cortisol (LTC)-and whether these effects were modified by co-occurring adversities. Emerging adults (n = 90; Mage = 19.36 years; 99.88% cisgender women) provided salivary cortisol samples four times a day (waking, 30 min and 45 min postwaking, bedtime) over three 3-day measurement waves over 13 weeks. Contextual life stress interviews assessed early adversity. Though the effects varied according to the conceptualization of early adversity, overall, threat-but not deprivation, nor other co-occurring adversities-was uniquely associated with the across-wave LTC. Specifically, the incidence and frequency of threat were each negatively related to the across-wave LTC. Threat severity was also associated with the across-wave LTC, but only among those with no deprivation. Finally, the effects of threat were modified by other co-occurring adversities. Findings suggest that threat has unique implications for individual differences in HPA axis activity among emerging adults, and that co-occurring adversities modify such effects.

Theoretically Based Factors Associated With Stroke Family Caregiver Health.

PURPOSE: Most persons who have had strokes are cared for at home by family members-many of whom experience depressive symptoms and quality of life changes as a result of providing care. The objective of this study is to determine theoretically based factors associated with unhealthy days in stroke family caregivers. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Secondary data analysis was conducted using baseline data from a large randomized controlled clinical trial testing the Telephone Assessment and Skill-Building Kit program with 254 family caregivers of persons who have had strokes. Guided by a conceptual model derived from Lazarus' transactional approach to stress, data were analyzed using multiple regression with unhealthy days as the dependent variable and theoretically based factors as independent variables. RESULTS: Caregivers were mostly female (78%), White (71%), spouses (47%), or adult children (29%). Caregivers reported nine unhealthy days on average within the past month. A total of 37.8% of the variance in unhealthy days was explained by caregiver task difficulty, level of optimism, threat appraisal, depressive symptoms, and life changes with depressive symptoms being the strongest individual predictor because of shared variance. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Unhealthy days is an important part of stroke family caregiver health. Factors associated with unhealthy days in this study provide areas to consider in future intervention development.

Maternal distress during the COVID-19 outbreak: A socio-ecological perspective.

INTRODUCTION: Mothers faced an increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to other populations. However, there is little data on the factors that placed mothers at increased risk of distress. AIMS: The present study explored a range of individual, familial, and environmental factors associated with psychological distress in mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: This repeated cross-sectional study was composed of a convenience sample of mothers who completed an online survey that included a demographic questionnaire, an emotion regulation questionnaire, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale. The survey was administered during the second and third lockdowns in Israel in 2020-2021. RESULTS: The study included 575 mothers (M age = 39). The findings of a hierarchical regression indicated that individual-level factors, composed of age and emotion regulation tendencies predicted psychological distress. The family-level factors of household income and number of children in the family also predicted distress. In terms of environmental-level factors, COVID-19-related media consumption and school status (open or closed) were also significant predictors of psychological distress. Importantly, the results showed that the most important predictors of psychological distress in mothers during the COVID-19 outbreak were school closures, household income, and the use of adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight the intersection of individual, familial, and environmental factors in mothers' mental health during crises.

Grandiose narcissism associates with higher cognitive performance under stress through more efficient attention distribution: An eye-tracking study.

Narcissism is a part of the Dark Triad that consists also of the traits of Machiavellianism and psychopathy. Two main types of narcissism exist: grandiose and vulnerable narcissism. Being a Dark Triad trait, narcissism is typically associated with negative outcomes. However, recent research suggests that at least the grandiose type may be linked (directly or indirectly) to positive outcomes including lower levels of psychopathology, higher school grades in adolescents, deeper and more strategic learning in university students and higher cognitive performance in experimental settings. The current pre-registered, quasi-experimental study implemented eye-tracking to assess whether grandiose narcissism indirectly predicts cognitive performance through wider distribution of attention on the Raven's Progressive Matrices task. Fifty-four adults completed measures of the Dark Triad, self-esteem and psychopathology. Eight months to one year later, participants completed the Raven's, while their eye-movements were monitored during high stress conditions. When controlling for previous levels of psychopathology, grandiose narcissism predicted higher Raven's scores indirectly, through increased variability in the number of fixations across trials. These findings suggest that grandiose narcissism predicts higher cognitive performance, at least in experimental settings, and call for further research to understand the implications of this seemingly dark trait for performance across various settings.