Empowering Expecting Mothers: The Impact of Antenatal Classes on Child Birth Experience.

Introduction Antenatal education is one of the ways to increase a woman's knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth, which could improve self-efficacy during labor, making the expecting mothers well-prepared for labor and nursing. One of the ways for its delivery could be via well-structured antenatal classes. Such classes are part of many countries' healthcare systems and have proven to decline maternal anxiety, shorten labor, increase partner involvement, and overall improve labor experience. However, at the same time, such classes can augment more interventions in labor, induction of labor, and epidural usage. Despite the heterogeneous results of their effect, the high demands of antenatal education among pregnant women can justify its incorporation into antenatal care. By allowing the women to identify labor correctly and preventing admission in false labor, shortening the labor, and teaching women non-pharmacologic ways to manage labor pains, it can reduce the patient and fiscal burden on the already overwhelmed maternity units of Pakistan, hence proving to be an inexpensive health promotion tool. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan, between December 2020 and June 2021. All pregnant women, aged 18 to 45 years, between gestational ages of 37 to 42 weeks, with singleton, cephalic pregnancy, booked during the first or second trimester, and who attended at least one antenatal class, were invited to participate. Women who had any contraindication to vaginal delivery, whose labor was induced, or who suffered from medical, psychological, or obstetric comorbidities were excused. The participants were observed for labor outcomes in terms of stage of labor on arrival, use of epidural analgesia, mode of delivery, and childbirth experience, using a validated research tool, known as the Questionnaire for Assessing the Childbirth Experience (QACE) to identify women with a positive or negative childbirth experience. A higher score representing on the questionnaire represented a more negative birth experience. A score of less than 19 was considered a positive birth experience. Data was analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics for Windows, Version 19. Results The mean QACE score was reported as 18.2±3.00, reflecting that on average the mothers had a positive childbirth experience. Modes of delivery revealed 57.6% of the women delivering spontaneously, with 60.4% of them arriving in the labor room in active labor. Demand for labor analgesia in the form of epidural was 64%. Majorly the participants attended only one antenatal class, with 66.91% of women reporting a positive childbirth experience. Conclusion Antenatal education classes are a low-input, high-yielding resource that can be used to empower mothers with pertinent information and support for a pleasant childbirth experience while simultaneously taking the edge off the overburdened maternity wards of low resources, in densely populated countries like Pakistan. Hence it is the need of the hour to devise plans to invest in these classes to make them available to the masses.

Effects of three-dimensional quality assessment nursing intervention on efficacy and disease management of patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors. The three-dimensional quality structure model is a quality assessment theory that includes three dimensions: Structure, process, and results. AIM: To investigate the effects of nursing interventions with three-dimensional quality assessment on the efficacy and disease management ability of patients undergoing esophageal cancer surgery. METHODS: In this prospective study, the control group received routine nursing, and the intervention group additionally received a three-dimensional quality assessment intervention based on the above routine care. Self-efficacy and patient disease management abilities were evaluated using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and Exercise of Self-Care Agency scale, respectively. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 17.0, was used for the data processing. RESULTS: This study recruited 112 patients who were assigned to the control and experimental groups (n = 56 per group). Before the intervention, there was no significant difference in GSES scores between the two groups (P > 0.05). After the intervention, the GSES scores of both groups increased, with the experimental group showing higher values (P < 0.05). At the time of discharge and three months after discharge, the scores for positive attitudes, self-stress reduction, and total score of health promotion in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The implementation of a three-dimensional quality structure model for postoperative patients with esophageal cancer can effectively improve their self-management ability and self-efficacy of postoperative patients.

The influence of positivity and self-efficacy beliefs on family functioning among young adults in Italy and Colombia.

Background: Research suggests that positivity and self-efficacy beliefs may impact adaptive behavior and developmental outcomes, such as social adjustment and subjective wellbeing. The present study explored the effect of positive dimensions (positivity and self-efficacy beliefs) and individual characteristics (gender, type of country, age, and sexual orientation) on family cohesion and flexibility in a group of Colombian and Italian young adults. Method: An online survey was administered to 949 Colombian and 2,073 Italian people aged between 18 and 40 years (M age = 24.3; SDage = 4.5; 67% women). A mediational model was performed to test the influence of positivity on family functioning via the mediational role of self-efficacy beliefs, analyzing the moderated effects of gender, type of country, sexual orientation, and age. Results: Filial self-efficacy mediated the effect of positivity on family functioning, showing stronger paths in men and Colombian participants than in women and Italian counterparts. Regulatory self-efficacy mediated the associations between positivity and family functioning for both genders and types of countries. Conclusion: The results suggest that positivity and self-efficacy beliefs may allow families to engage in more adaptive family functioning across countries and genders. Further research should focus on implications from a cross-national perspective to examine other culture-specific factors that may impact family adjustment.

Correlation between organizational support, self-efficacy, and core competencies among long-term care assistants: a structural equation model.

Introduction: Long-term care assistants are taking on more important roles in the healthcare system. The purpose of this study was to investigate what demographic factors influence the core competencies of nursing assistants, as well as to investigate the levels of organizational support, self-efficacy, and core competencies among nursing assistants in China, to explore the relationship between them. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with prospective data collection based on a self-report questionnaire. A total of 320 long-term care assistants from two healthcare institutions. We collected socio-demographic characteristics and measured their perceived organizational support, self-efficacy, and core competency levels of the participants. Pearson correlation tests were conducted to examine the relationships among three variables, and a structural equation model was developed to test the interrelationships among these variables. Results: The results indicated that age, employment type, licensing status, monthly income, pre-job training, and training methods were associated with core competency, with nursing knowledge identified as a weak area in core competencies. There were significant associations among each dimension of perceived organizational support, self-efficacy, and core competencies (p < 0.01). The structural equation model demonstrated good fit: X 2/df = 2.486, GFI = 0.974, CFI = 0.988, IFI = 0.988, TLI = 0.977, RMSEA = 0.068, SRMR = 0.013. The direct effect of organizational support on core competencies was 0.37, with self-efficacy mediating the relationship between organizational support and core competencies, yielding an indirect effect of 0.122 and a total effect coefficient of 0.492 (all p < 0.001). Conclusion: Training in core competencies should prioritize nursing knowledge. Enhanced perceived organizational support and self-efficacy among nursing assistants were associated with higher core competencies.

The Influence of Identity Bubble Reinforcement on the Happiness Index among Chinese Medical Staff: The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the mediating role of general self-efficacy in the influence of social media identity bubble reinforcement on the happiness index among Chinese medical staff. Methods: This study utilized data (n = 877) from the 2022 Psychological and Behavioral Investigation of Chinese Residents (PBICR) related to medical staff. Correlation analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 software, and the relationships between general self-efficacy, social media identity bubble reinforcement, and the happiness index of Chinese medical staff were examined using AMOS 23.0 software. Results: The happiness index of Chinese medical staff was scored at 2.93 ± 1.21 for each item. Social media identity bubble reinforcement among Chinese medical staff was positively correlated with general self-efficacy (r = 0.380, P < .001), as well as with the happiness index (r = 0.330, P < .001). General self-efficacy was positively correlated with the happiness index (r = 0.575, P < .001) and was found to mediate the relationship between social media identity bubble reinforcement and the happiness index of Chinese medical staff. In terms of the mediating effect of social media identity bubble reinforcement, the direct effect's 95% confidence interval (CI) was 0.031-0.142, accounting for 34.68% of the total effect, which is statistically significant (P = .015), while the 95% CI of the indirect effect was 0.125-0.212, representing 65.32% of the total effect, also statistically significant (P = .005). Conclusion: Social media identity bubble reinforcement and general self-efficacy were found to be important factors influencing the happiness index of medical staff. Hospital managers and policymakers can thus enhance the social media identity bubble reinforcement and general self-efficacy of Chinese medical staff through effective measures to improve their happiness indices.

Too many friends, too little care: an exploration of the relational benefits and costs of friendship for academic self-efficacy, depression and anxiety in adolescence.

Our paper explores in a large Romanian sample (2168 adolescents) the relational costs and benefits of the number of friends at school. Using the MEDCURVE procedure to test the non-linear mediation effects, our results show that psychological safety, bullying and negative relations mediate the association between the number of friends and depression and anxiety, while social acceptance and bullying mediate the association between the number of friends and academic self-efficacy. In general, our results show that the relational benefits of friendship tend to diminish as the number of friends increase, in general over 9 friends (depending on the relational state) and parents, teachers and school counselors should help adolescents manage their number of friends in order to prevent the relational costs associated with engaging in too many (superficial) friendships.

Father support breastfeeding self-efficacy positively affects exclusive breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum and its influencing factors in Southeast China: a multi-centre, cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The exclusive breastfeeding condition in China is not optimism now. Maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy stands as a pivotal factor influencing exclusive breastfeeding. Interestingly, studies have suggested that father support breastfeeding self-efficacy is a pivotal mediator in infant breastfeeding. Thus, the current research aimed to investigate the association between father support breastfeeding self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum, and the influencing factors of father support breastfeeding self-efficacy. METHODS: This research was structured as a multi-centre cross-sectional study, involving 328 fathers, whose partners were six weeks postpartum, and recruited from two public hospitals in Southeast China. Self-designed demographic questionnaires, namely, Father Support Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form, Breastfeeding Knowledge Questionnaire, Positive Affect Scale and the 14-item Fatigue Scale, were applied. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, logistic regression univariate analysis and multiple linear regression were used to analyse data. RESULTS: Results indicate a significant difference between the infant feeding methods at six weeks postpartum and fathers with different levels of support breastfeeding self-efficacy (p < 0.05). Particularly, father support breastfeeding self-efficacy positively affected exclusive breastfeeding at six weeks postpartum after adjusting all the demographic characteristics of fathers (OR: 2.407; 95% CI: 1.017-4.121). Moreover, results show that the significant influencing factors of father support breastfeeding self-efficacy include breastfeeding knowledge, fatigue, positive affect, successfully experienced helping mothers to breastfeed, spousal relationships and companionship time. CONCLUSIONS: High-level father support breastfeeding self-efficacy effectively increased exclusive breastfeeding rate at six weeks postpartum. To enhance the exclusive breastfeeding rate, nurses or midwives can endeavour to design educational programmes or take supportive interventions customised for fathers, such as enhancing their breastfeeding knowledge education, reducing fatigue and mobilising positive emotions, thereby bolstering paternal self-efficacy in breastfeeding.

Shaping teachers' organizational citizenship behavior through self-efficacy and trust in colleagues: moderating role of collective efficacy.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The aims of this study are: (1) to examine the mediating effect of teacher self-efficacy on the relationship between trust in colleagues and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB); and (2) to evaluate the moderating effect of collective efficacy on the relationships between teachers' self-efficacy and OCB, as well as between trust in colleagues and OCB. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The cross-sectional data were based on 408 sets of usable questionnaires collected from teachers who worked in government schools in Malaysia. The partial least square structural equation modeling technique was used to test the model and hypotheses. FINDINGS: The results indicate that trust in colleagues is positively related to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and teacher self-efficacy. Additionally, teacher self-efficacy and OCB are also positively related. Furthermore, the relationship between trust in colleagues and OCB is partially mediated by teacher self-efficacy. Moreover, collective efficacy significantly moderates the path between teacher self-efficacy and OCB but not between trust in colleagues and OCB. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Despite earlier studies examining the relationship between trust, teacher self-efficacy, and OCB, little is known about the mediating mechanism of teacher self-efficacy and the moderating effect of collective efficacy. Thus, this present study makes significant contributions in both theoretical and practical aspects.

Meditating role of career sustainability in the relationship between teachers' self-efficacy and job satisfaction and subject well-being.

The main purpose of this study, explore the mediating role of career sustainability in the relationships between teacher self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and subjective well-being. Teachers should have an acceptable level of satisfaction regarding self-efficacy, career sustainability, and job satisfaction to secure well-being. In a sense, this claim mandates revealing the relationships between these variables. Accordingly, we collected data from 369 Turkish language teachers aged 24-55 years employed in public schools using the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, Short Index of Job Satisfaction, Career Sustainability Scale, and Subjective Well-Being Scale and tested a mediation model to seek answers to our hypotheses. We collected the data using an online questionnaire battery web-based survey (Google Forms) which was created using data collection measures and demographic items. After creating the survey using Google Forms, we distributed it through various channels such as email lists, social media platforms, and professional networks (e.g., teacher WhatsApp groups, teacher Telegram groups, etc.). Respondents were invited to participate in the survey voluntarily. The findings showed that career sustainability mediated the relationships between teacher self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and subjective well-being. Accordingly, we may claim that teachers with desirable career sustainability are likely to have increased job satisfaction and well-being, contributing to their self-efficacy. This research emphasises the essential significance of career sustainability in the overall well-being and work satisfaction of teachers. Future study should investigate treatments aimed at improving career sustainability and examine these linkages in other cultural settings.

A Technology-Based Intervention Impacts Quality of Life for Low-Income Older Adults by Reducing Loneliness and Improving Healthcare Self-Efficacy and Self-Rated Health.

This paper describes a technology program aimed at developing technical skills and confidence, reducing social isolation and loneliness, and increasing healthcare self-management and self-efficacy among older adults. We conducted a mixed-methods study using surveys collected at baseline and 12 months from 90 older adults. Focus group data (n = 7) collected at 12 months were examined for convergence with key quantitative outcomes, emergent value-related themes, and evaluation of program structure and staff. Outcome data showed improvements in loneliness (Cohen's d = -0.24, p = .004) (validated by qualitative data), self-rated health (d = 0.23, p = .011), and healthcare self-efficacy (d = 0.31, p = .004). Participants with higher healthcare self-efficacy (ß = 0.24, p = .03) and higher negative emotions (ß = 0.28, p = .01) had greater frequency of internet use to search for health information. Qualitative findings described program mechanisms supporting increases in self-efficacy, including increased technology use and confidence, and values statements demonstrating the meaningfulness of learning technology and its impact on multiple domains of quality of life.

Human milk feeding for moderate and late preterm infants at age 2 months: Insights from a cluster randomized controlled trial 2-month follow-up.

Objective: Human milk (HM) is the optimal nutrition for infants; preterm infants demonstrate shorter HM feeding duration. Care interventions may increase HM feeding among preterm infants after NICU discharge. We compared Alberta Family Integrated Care (FICare) versus Standard Care on HM feeding in preterm infants at age 2 months. Methods: We conducted a follow-up of a cluster randomized controlled trial of 455 infants and their mothers with data linked to the infant's 2-month public health visit. We used partial proportional odds to model group differences and factors associated with feeding type: exclusive HM (EHM), Non-EHM, or no HM (NHM). Results: Compared to Standard Care, mothers in Alberta FICare were less likely to provide EHM versus NHM. There was no group difference between EHM and Non-EHM. Mothers with higher education who were on maternity leave or employed were more likely to provide EHM. Infants who received EHM at discharge were more likely to continue at age 2 months. Higher maternal breastfeeding self-efficacy at discharge was associated with a greater likelihood of EHM. Conclusion: Alberta FICare was not associated with EHM feeding at age 2 months. Innovation: Different factors predicted the three HM feeding categories, suggesting the need to individualize feeding supports.Trial Registration.ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT02879799, retrospectively registered August 26, 2016.

Algorithm-based Mobile Texting Platform for the Self-management of Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome: Pilot Study Evaluating Feasibility, Usability and Potential Utility.

INTRODUCTION: We developed an algorithm-based mobile texting platform for promoting self-management in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS). Our aim was to measure the feasibility, usability, and potential utility of the platform. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A texting platform that delivered four treatment modules (education and behavioral modification, cognitive behavioral therapy, pelvic floor physical therapy, and guided mindfulness practices) and an automated weekly message over six weeks was developed. Feasibility and usability were determined using patient engagement (proportion of platform messages to which patients responded) and System Usability scale. Satisfaction with patient-physician communication questionnaire, Pain Self-Efficacy Scale, and Interstitial Cystitis Symptom and Problem Index were administered before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Engagement with the platform in 52 female patients with IC/BPS [median age (IQR) 40 (30-48) years] was 76.9%. The commonest module selected by patients was pelvic floor physical therapy (50%) followed by cognitive behavioral therapy (34%), and guided mindfulness (15%). System Usability score (median, IQR) was 87 (83-95), indicating high usability. Satisfaction with patient-physician communication improved significantly (median change 4, IQR 1-9, p< .001). Pain self-efficacy score improved from moderate impairment at baseline to minimal impairment at six weeks (median change 10, IQR 2-18, p < .001). Urinary symptoms scores also improved (median change Interstitial Cystitis Symptom Index -3, IQR -5, -1.5, p < .001, Problem Index -2, IQR 5.5, -0.5, p <.001). CONCLUSION: An automated mobile platform has the potential for improving access to self-management strategies and easing clinicians' challenge of counseling IC/BPS patients during time-limited in-person visits.

Relationships between self-efficacy beliefs and personal factors in final-year medical students.

BACKGROUND: Medical students entering postgraduate training often feel ill-prepared for clinical practice. This has implications for physician well-being and the quality of patient care. Self-efficacy represents an important contributing factor in the transition process. Identifying student characteristics associated with self-efficacy is important in order to design possible interventions to enhance self-efficacy. Therefore, we assessed the relationship between final-year medical students' general self-efficacy with their personality traits, need for cognitive closure, and medical knowledge in order to identify factors contributing to the assessment and improvement of self-efficacy. METHODS: Self-assessed data regarding general self-efficacy was collected from 188 final-year medical students who participated in a first day of residency simulation between March and September 2023. We also assessed several personal factors including the HEXACO Personality Inventory Revised (HEXACO-PI-R), a short scale to measure Need for Cognitive Closure (16-NCCS), and students' medical exam grades (M2). We ran multiple correlation and multiple linear regression analyses across all variables. We then added a second analysis each with general self-efficacy and HEXACO domains Emotionality and Extraversion on facet level, which both showed significant associations with self-efficacy in the respective first analysis. RESULTS: Across all variables, self-efficacy correlated significantly negatively with Emotionality and positively with Extraversion. Both domains also significantly predicted self-efficacy accordingly in the regression model. On a facet analysis, Sentimentality (Emotionality) and Sociability (Extraversion) did not correlate significantly with self-efficacy. In the regression model only the facets Sociability (Extraversion) and Fearfulness (Emotionality) significantly predicted lower self-efficacy. Furthermore, self-efficacy correlated significantly and negatively with the Need for Cognitive Closure (NCC). Additionally, significant positive and negative correlations of the NCC with both Emotionality and Extraversion, respectively, as well as a significant positive correlation for exam grades (M2) and Extraversion were found. CONCLUSIONS: Self-efficacy contributes to medial students' preparedness for clinical practice and can be predicted by several personal factors. Students should learn and reflect about these factors and need to be supported in increasing their self-efficacy and its self-assessment towards their transition to postgraduate training. Construction of a specific instrument for self-efficacy assessment utilizing the insight provided by the findings is proposed as a next step.

Rasch analysis of a palliative care self-efficacy instrument for nursing assistants.

This study used Rasch models to evaluate the psychometric properties of a self-efficacy instrument focused on psychosocial aspects of palliative care developed for nursing assistants (NAs). NAs from 6 skilled nursing facilities in Illinois, U.S. (n=102) were divided into intervention and control groups and answered 16 questions at baseline and 1-month follow-up. A total of 84 NAs completed assessments at both times. The rating scale structure improved when 3 instead of 5 response categories were used. After removing 4 items, the instrument demonstrated unidimensionality and local independence. A person-item threshold map indicated a ceiling effect. For the intervention group, 2 items and 1 item became easier and more difficult respectively post-training. With adjustments, the 12-item instrument became an adequate measure of palliative care self-efficacy. By using PCSE-NA as a tool to assess palliative care self-efficacy of NAs, geriatric nurses can identify weaknesses of and ways to improve training for NAs.

Defining Caring Efficacy for Nursing Students in South Korea: A Mixed-Method Analysis.

Introduction: Caring efficacy is a core nursing concept, but its application in nursing practice remains unclear. Objective: This study analyzed the meaning and attributes of caring efficacy among nursing students, defined caring efficacy in this context, and identified the substantive constituents of the concept. Methods: This hybrid study analyzed and compared data from a literature review and in-depth interviews with students in the clinical practice stage of a nursing program, according to the model suggested by Schwartz-Barcott and Kim. Results: The results revealed five attributes of nursing caring efficacy and 17 indicators across two dimensions. Considering the attributes identified in theoretical work and fieldwork, this study defined nursing students' care efficiency based on their "qualifications and personality for caring" as "self-confidence in caring capabilities," rooted in their "growth through caring experience" and the conditions of their "educational environment for learning caring and social support." Conclusion: The findings could guide the development of nursing caring efficacy scales. Future studies should explore caring efficacy among professional and student nurses in various clinical fields.

Perceived Emotional Self-Efficacy and Life Satisfaction of Elementary School Children on the US-Mexico Border.

Objectives. It has been established that an adult's perceived ability to effectively address negative emotions predicts their life satisfaction. To increase the understanding of ethnic minority children's mental health and quality of life, this study examined the relationship between perceived emotional self-efficacy and life satisfaction of Hispanic children. Methods. Using the nonexperimental-correlational research design and the convenience sampling method, a total of 176 fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students (73 boys, 103 girls; 88% Hispanic) in one public elementary school on the US-Mexico border were recruited to participate in this study. Emotional self-efficacy was measured using the emotional subscale of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children and subjective well-being was measured using the Student Life Satisfaction Scale. Spearman correlation and ordinal regression analyses were used to test the study hypotheses. Results. Consistent with findings from the current literature, emotional self-efficacy was positively associated with subjective well-being. Children in lower elementary grades were more likely to report higher emotional self-efficacy than those in higher elementary grades. Boys were more likely to report higher life satisfaction than girls. Conclusions and Relevance. Using a sample of elementary school children with Hispanic backgrounds on the US-Mexico border, this study attested to the empirical link between emotional self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Our study findings stress the importance of early identification of students with low emotional self-efficacious beliefs and the early introduction of social-emotional learning programs in elementary schools to enhance students' emotional self-efficacy. This study contributes to positive psychology literature and provides insights for future school-based mental health practice and research.

The relationship between physical activity and mental health of middle school students: the chain mediating role of negative emotions and self-efficacy.

Objective: To explore the relationship between mental health and physical activity (PA) in middle school students, and examining the roles of negative emotions and self-efficacy in the relationship. Methods: Data from 1,134 Chinese middle school students (50.2% females, 49.8% males; M age = 15.18, SDage = 2.00) were collected using the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Middle School Student Mental Health Scale (MSSMHS). Results: (1) There is a significant positive correlation between PA and mental health (r = 0.16, p < 0.01), and the direct path of PA on mental health is significant (t = 2.101, p < 0.01). (2) PA negatively predicts negative emotions (r = -0.12, p < 0.01), and is significantly positively correlated with self-efficacy (r = 0.24, p < 0.01). Negative emotions negatively predict self-efficacy (r = -0.23, p < 0.01) and mental health (r = -0.67, p < 0.01). Self-efficacy positively predicts mental health (r = 0.30, p < 0.01). (3) Negative emotions and self-efficacy play a significant mediating role between PA and mental health. The mediating effect includes three paths: PA → negative emotion → mental health (effect value: 0.130); PA → self-efficacy → mental health (effect size: 0.052); PA → negative emotions → self-efficacy → mental health (effect size: 0.006). Conclusion: PA among middle school students can indirectly affect mental health through negative emotions and self-efficacy. Middle school students should be encouraged to participate in PA to reduce their negative emotions and increase their self-efficacy, thus improving their mental health.

Effects of social support on music performance anxiety among university music students: chain mediation of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy.

The primary goal of this research is to investigate the relationship between social support and music performance anxiety in the context of social cognitive theory and stimulus-organization-response theory among music university students in China. The study involved both postgraduate and undergraduate students. The suggested framework consisted of three independent variables: parental support, teacher support, and peer support, two mediators: emotional intelligence and self-efficacy, and one dependent variable: music performance anxiety. A survey of 483 students was undertaken, and the data was analyzed using path analysis and structural equation modeling. The study discovered that all three forms of parental, teacher, and peer support were positively associated to both self-efficacy and emotional intelligence, with postgraduate students experiencing the strongest effects. Furthermore, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence had a negative significant effect on music performance anxiety, with the association being stronger among postgraduate students. Finally, self-efficacy and emotional intelligence emerged as significant mediators of the relationship between social support and music performance anxiety. These results add to our knowledge of the mechanisms by which social support influences music performance anxiety.

Self-efficacy as a psychological resource in the management of stress suffered by ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A prospective study on emotional exhaustion.

BACKGROUND: Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses have experienced a high degree of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the literature on the consequences on emotional symptomatology is abundant, studies on the protective psychosocial variables that have contributed to buffering these consequences are scarcer. AIM: This study analyses the role of self-efficacy as a protective personality trait in ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a moderated mediation model that begins with the stress and anxiety experienced at the onset of the pandemic and concludes with the emotional exhaustion experienced 6 months later. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study with two data collection periods during the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) from 5 May to 21 June 2020 and (2) a follow-up 6 months after the state of alarm finalized (January-April 2021). These were both very stressful periods for ICU staff because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was conducted with 129 ICU nurses (a non-probabilistic convenience sample in the Spanish health care system). Socio-demographic, occupational and psychosocial variables (i.e. stress, anxiety, self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion) were assessed. Descriptive analyses, Pearson correlations, covariate analyses (i.e. Student's t-test, one-factor ANOVA) and moderated mediation analyses were carried out (SPSS PROCESS macro, model 7). STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) reporting guidelines were followed. RESULTS: It shows that the higher the self-efficacy score, the lower the effect of stress on anxiety (p < .001); likewise, the moderating role of self-efficacy was equally valid for the whole final model (F = 8.790, p < .001), showing self-efficacy to be a good buffer for emotional exhaustion derived from the stress suffered in the ICU. CONCLUSIONS: Self-efficacy (i.e. the belief of being able to do certain tasks successfully) is shown to be a highly relevant trait to enhance among ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing them to manage work stress effectively and thus buffering the development of anxiety in the short term and emotional exhaustion in the long term. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Our results point to the need to assess and take action on self-efficacy in ICU nurses in highly stressful situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic. As a psychological variable, self-efficacy refers to beliefs and therefore has to be trained by evidence-based psychological techniques, such as cognitive behavioural therapy. In addition, previous literature has pointed out that previous experience or specific training is an influential (although not a determining) factor in self-efficacy, so specialization for ICU nurses could also be considered.