scholarly journals Stressor Appraisal on a Pathway to Health: The Role of the Sense of Coherence

2022 ◽  
pp. 69-78
Author(s):  
Maurice B. Mittelmark

AbstractIn this chapter, the focus is on how the sense of coherence (SOC) influences stressor appraisal, positively as well as negatively. The processes of stimulus appraisal have a central place in salutogenic theory, even if they have received relatively little theoretical and empirical attention since Aaron Antonovsky’s extensive treatment of stimulus appraisal in Unraveling the mystery of health: How people manage stress and stay well. The chapter aims to elevate researchers’ appreciation of stimulus appraisal as Antonovsky’s little-tested answer to three key questions: How does the SOC concept link to coping behaviour, what is the mechanism that makes the connection and what is the black box in between?

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 229-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Chiesi ◽  
Andrea Bonacchi ◽  
Caterina Primi ◽  
Alessandro Toccafondi ◽  
Guido Miccinesi

Abstract. The present study aimed at evaluating if the three-item sense of coherence (SOC) scale developed by Lundberg and Nystrom Peck (1995) can be effectively used for research purpose in both nonclinical and clinical samples. To provide evidence that it represents adequately the measured construct we tested its validity in a nonclinical (N = 658) and clinical sample (N = 764 patients with cancer). Results obtained in the nonclinical sample attested a positive relation of SOC – as measured by the three-item SOC scale – with Antonovsky’s 13-item and 29-item SOC scales (convergent validity), and with dispositional optimism, sense of mastery, anxiety, and depression symptoms (concurrent validity). Results obtained in the clinical sample confirmed the criterion validity of the scale attesting the positive role of SOC – as measured by the three-item SOC scale – on the person’s capacity to respond to illness and treatment. The current study provides evidence that the three-item SOC scale is a valid, low-loading, and time-saving instrument for research purposes on large sample.


Author(s):  
Sivan George-Levi ◽  
Tomer Schmidt-Barad ◽  
Inbal Natan ◽  
Malka Margalit

Author(s):  
Mario Veen

AbstractThis paper argues that abductive reasoning has a central place in theorizing Health Professions Education. At the root of abduction lies a fundamental debate: How do we connect practice, which is always singular and unique, with theory, which describes the world in terms of rules, generalizations, and universals? While abduction was initially seen as the ‘poor cousin’ of deduction and induction, ultimately it has something important to tell us about the role of imagination and humility in theorizing Health Professions Education. It is that which makes theory possible, because it allows us to ask what might be the case and calls attention to the role of creative leaps in theory. Becoming aware of the abductive reasoning we already perform in our research allows us to take the role of imagination—something rarely associated with theory—seriously.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 334
Author(s):  
Giulia Bivona ◽  
Bruna Lo Sasso ◽  
Caterina Maria Gambino ◽  
Rosaria Vincenza Giglio ◽  
Concetta Scazzone ◽  
...  

Vitamin D and cognition is a popular association, which led to a remarkable body of literature data in the past 50 years. The brain can synthesize, catabolize, and receive Vitamin D, which has been proved to regulate many cellular processes in neurons and microglia. Vitamin D helps synaptic plasticity and neurotransmission in dopaminergic neural circuits and exerts anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities within the brain by reducing the synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the oxidative stress load. Further, Vitamin D action in the brain has been related to the clearance of amyloid plaques, which represent a feature of Alzheimer Disease (AD), by the immune cell. Based on these considerations, many studies have investigated the role of circulating Vitamin D levels in patients affected by a cognitive decline to assess Vitamin D’s eventual role as a biomarker or a risk factor in AD. An association between low Vitamin D levels and the onset and progression of AD has been reported, and some interventional studies to evaluate the role of Vitamin D in preventing AD onset have been performed. However, many pitfalls affected the studies available, including substantial discrepancies in the methods used and the lack of standardized data. Despite many studies, it remains unclear whether Vitamin D can have a role in cognitive decline and AD. This narrative review aims to answer two key questions: whether Vitamin D can be used as a reliable tool for diagnosing, predicting prognosis and response to treatment in AD patients, and whether it is a modifiable risk factor for preventing AD onset.


2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-18
Author(s):  
Tanja R. Müller ◽  
Milena Belloni

This special focus section analyses state–diaspora relationships with a focus on the case of Eritrea, a paradigmatic example, as we show in this introduction, to elaborate on the following key questions: What determines loyalty between diaspora and the state? How can we understand the dynamics of co-optation, loyalty, and resistance that characterise many diaspora–state relationships? What is the role of historical events and memory in building alliances as well as divides among different generations and different groups in the diaspora? How do diaspora citizens interpret and enact their citizenship in everyday practices of engagement? By engaging with both citizenship and diaspora studies, this introduction shows the significance of analysing these questions through the lens of “transnational lived citizenship.” This concept enables a look at the intersections between formal aspects of citizenship as well as the emotional and practical aspects related to feelings of belonging, transnational attitudes, and circulation of material cultures.


2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 850-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gudrun Schneider ◽  
Georg Driesch ◽  
Andreas Kruse ◽  
Hans-Georg Nehen ◽  
Gereon Heuft

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