scholarly journals Keep me updated! Social support as a coping strategy to reduce the perceived threat caused by the cognitive availability of COVID-19 relevant information

Author(s):  
Lisa Klümper ◽  
Svenja Sürth

AbstractThe enormous amount of information about the COVID-19 pandemic in newspapers, TV channels, or social media reminds people every day of the potential threat the virus posed to their health and well-being in 2020. We examined if the cognitive availability of COVID-19 leads to the perception of heightened threat facilitating coping strategies and the moderating role of global self-efficacy and intolerance of uncertainty. A total of 235 participants randomly received either a newspaper article about the COVID-19 virus or Germany’s soil condition and were asked to indicate their current level of the perceived threat of the virus and the use of different coping strategies. Results indicate that the cognitive availability of COVID-19 information leads to a higher perceived threat, leading to more seeking for social support. Although neither self-efficacy nor intolerance of uncertainty moderates the effect of cognitive availability on the perceived threat, both personality characteristics moderated the relationship between perceived threat and different coping strategies. We discuss our results in line with current research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on coping strategies and well-being.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1422-1439
Author(s):  
Maria Luisa Indiana ◽  
Elisabetta Sagone ◽  
Salvatore Luciano Orazio Fichera

The main purpose of this cross-sectional study, carried out with deaf parents and blind parents, is to analyze the association of coping strategies, life satisfaction, well-being, and generalized self-efficacy, compared to a group of parents without a sensory loss. The Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced, Satisfaction with Life, Generalized Self-efficacy, and Psychological Well-Being scales were applied. Results indicate that: (1) deaf parents and blind parents search for social support, use avoidance, and turn to religion more than those without a sensory loss; (2) deaf parents are more satisfied with life than blind parents and those without a sensory loss; (3) deaf parents and blind parents perceive themselves as less efficacious than those without a sensory loss; (4) deaf parents and blind parents report lower psychological well-being (autonomy and personal growth) than those without a sensory loss, except for self-acceptance. Searching for social support and turning to religion are negatively associated with life satisfaction in deaf parents and those without a sensory loss; further, these coping strategies (together with avoidance) affect the psychological well-being of deaf parents and parents without a sensory loss. Future research could investigate deeper into the effects of these dimensions on well-being and the styles of parenting in these families.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Khairina Khairina ◽  
Samsilah Roslan ◽  
Noorlila Ahmad ◽  
Zeinab Zaremohzzabieh ◽  
Nurazidawati Mohamad Arsad

The benefits of internationalization in higher education are indisputable. However, students studying abroad may face difficulties such as adjustment issues since they are away from home and go through a new stage in their lives. Seeing that an essential predictor of psychological adjustment is resilience, the current study aims to assess the role of a range of factors (optimism, social support, self-efficacy, psychological well-being, and demographic) in predicting the resilience of Indonesian students in Malaysia. Two hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to test the influencing factors on resilience. Based on the literature, this study is quantitative in nature where a total of 229 Indonesian postgraduate students in Malaysian public universities were chosen as participants. Results showed that resilience is affected by optimism, social support, and self-efficacy. Essentially, this study provides practical insights into how international students can make adjustments to reduce the impact of stress faced in challenging situations.  Keywords: adjustment, higher education, international students, Malaysia, resilience


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-98
Author(s):  
Olesia Prokofieva ◽  
◽  
Olga Prokofieva ◽  
Bogdan Smirnov ◽  
◽  
...  

The article considers the features of coping strategies in adolescence. The article aim is to study and analyze adolescents’ coping strategies and the coping features characteristic for delinquent adolescents. To achieve this goal, the authors solved the following tasks: to analyze the peculiarities of coping behavior in adolescence and to determine its connection with behavioral disorders, to identify life situations especially difficult for adolescents, to identify leading coping strategies in adolescents and to conduct comparative analysis of coping strategies used by delinquent adolescents and adolescents with normative behavior. The authors analyzed maladaptive coping strategies: confrontation strategy, escape-avoidance strategy, distancing strategy; as well as adaptive coping strategies: positive reassessment, self-control and responsibility, social support and planning. Overcoming difficult life situations requires mobilization of personal resources, which is manifested in coping strategies. Their features largely depend on personal characteristics, life experience and situational factors that determine the individual uniqueness of mastering strategies. Among the variety of coping strategies, there are emotional, cognitive and behavioral coping. The coping strategies that focus on problem solving, seeking social support and avoidance are basic. The authors conducted the study with two groups of adolescents with normative and delinquent behavior and found that adolescents with normative behavior, unlike delinquents, were not prone to aggressive efforts and risks in solving difficult situations. At the same time, delinquent adolescents were characterized by maladaptive coping strategies. Copings are aimed at adapting a person to the requirements of a situation, mitigating its requirements, avoiding or getting used to them. In general, it reduces the impact of a difficult situation, ensures and maintains an individual’s physical and mental health, well-being, and satisfaction with social relations. The obtained results indicate that adolescents with normative behavior in difficult life situations are more active in making arbitrary, problem-focused efforts to change the situation; they make more efforts to analyze ways to solve the problem than delinquent adolescents. Adolescents with normative behavior are prone to: planning, positive reassessment, self-control, acceptance of responsibility, and also have a low level of stress in copings. Delinquents clearly have a tendency to the maladaptive “avoiding problem” strategy. They are prone to confrontation, avoidance, detonation. Delinquent adolescents experience more difficult situations. The coping system of adolescents with delinquent behavior is more intense, which indicates that they experience higher levels of stress. In adolescence, coping behavior is actively formed and is a prerequisite for psychological well-being. It aims to improve adolescents’ adaptation and is manifested through a set of coping strategies. The studied causes of delinquent behavior show that they are closely related to coping strategies. When delinquency is development, maladaptive behavioral patterns are formed that prevent adequate coping with stressful situations. This is confirmed by the data obtained during the study. A comparison of coping strategies of the studied groups shows a qualitative difference in the structure of coping in difficult life situations for adolescents with normative and delinquent behavior. The data obtained will expand the understanding of the causes underlying adolescents’ destructive behavior. The authors’ study is of practical importance, its results can be used by psychologists and social educators to identify ways to optimize mental development of all adolescents and adolescents with delinquent behavior, in particular through the purposeful formation of more effective coping strategies.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0249263
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Gilliam ◽  
Tina Cheung ◽  
Kristen Kraemer ◽  
Daniel Litrownik ◽  
Peter M. Wayne ◽  
...  

Purpose Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with multiple psychosocial and behavioral factors. Prior research suggests that mind-body interventions may support the development and maintenance of healthy behaviors and improve health-related quality-of-life in such patients. We sought to qualitatively explore cognitive, psychosocial, and behavioral changes in patients with COPD who participated in two different mind-body interventions compared to an education control. Methods We analyzed semi-structured qualitative exit interviews from a prospective, randomized pilot trial (N = 123) investigating 12-weeks of Tai Chi (TC) vs. mind-body breathing (MBB) vs. education (EDU) control in patients with moderate-severe COPD. TC involved traditional movements, that integrate meditative breathing, while MBB focused mainly on meditative breathing techniques alone. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative analysis of randomly selected transcripts was performed by two independent reviewers using an iterative process to identify emergent themes informed by grounded theory methods until thematic saturation was reached. Results A total of 66 transcripts were reviewed (N = 22 TC, N = 22 MBB, N = 22 EDU). Participants were mean age = 68.1 years, GOLD Stage = 2.3, baseline FEV11 percent predicted mean (SD): 58% (13.4), 42.4% female. We identified six frequently mentioned themes: 1) overall awareness and understanding, 2) self-care knowledge, skills and behaviors, 3) behavior-related neurocognitive concepts, 4) physical function, 5) psychological well-being, and 6) social support/social function. Compared to EDU, more participants in TC and MBB noted improvements in awareness of self and the mind-body connection (e.g., body and breath awareness), knowledge of breathing techniques and integration of self-care skills with daily activities, self-efficacy for symptom management (particularly managing anxiety and dyspnea), acceptance of disease, physical function improvements (e.g., endurance, dyspnea, fatigue), and psychological well-being (particularly relaxation, emotion regulation and decreased reactivity). Compared to MBB, those in TC shared more intention to continue with self-care behaviors, physical activity self-efficacy, and improved flexibility. All three groups, including EDU, noted increased social support and knowledge of disease. Those in EDU, however, had fewer mentions of processes related to behavior change, and less concrete changes in neurocognitive, psychological, and physical function domains. Conclusions Mind-body interventions including meditative breathing may impact behavior-related neurocognitive and emotional factors that improve self-care management and support positive behavioral changes in patients with COPD. Trial registration This trial is registered in Clinical Trials.gov, ID number NCT01551953.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingyu Si ◽  
Xiao-You Su ◽  
Yu Jiang ◽  
Wen-Jun Wang ◽  
Xiao-Fen Gu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background College students are a uniquely vulnerable group and may experience high stress levels due to COVID-19. This study aims to identify the the psychological state and related factors on Chinese college students during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods From February 23 to March 5, 2020, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 3606 college students from seven provinces in China using standard questionnaires measuring adverse psychological outcomes and related factors including Impact of Event Scale-6 (IES-6), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS) and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were used to determine underlying constructs of the perceived threat items. Multivariate regression was used to explore the determinants of adverse psychological impact. Results Posttraumatic stress (PTS) were prevalent in this sample of college students, and 34.22% met the cut-off for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The proportion of having mild to extremely severe symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress were 15.70%, 13.31% and 7.10%, respectively. The impact of closed-off management on life, perceived threat and passive coping strategies were positively correlated to PTS and DASS scores, while knowledge score, perceived social support and active coping strategies were negatively correlated to DASS scores. Conclusions In summary, adverse psychological symptoms were prevalent among college students in China during the COVID-19 epidemic. Identifying vulnerable populations and formulating correspondingly psychological interventions would be beneficial to improve the mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 352-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Bonino ◽  
Federica Graziano ◽  
Martina Borghi ◽  
Davide Marengo ◽  
Giorgia Molinengo ◽  
...  

Abstract. This research developed a new scale to evaluate Self-Efficacy in Multiple Sclerosis (SEMS). The aim of this study was to investigate dimensionality, item functioning, measurement invariance, and concurrent validity of the SEMS scale. Data were collected from 203 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients (mean age, 39.5 years; 66% women; 95% having a relapsing remitting form of MS). Fifteen items of the SEMS scale were submitted to patients along with measures of psychological well-being, sense of coherence, depression, and coping strategies. Data underwent Rasch analysis and correlation analysis. Rasch analysis indicates the SEMS as a multidimensional construct characterized by two correlated dimensions: goal setting and symptom management, with satisfactory reliability coefficients. Overall, the 15 items reported acceptable fit statistics; the scale demonstrated measurement invariance (with respect to gender and disease duration) and good concurrent validity (positive correlations with psychological well-being, sense of coherence, and coping strategies and negative correlations with depression). Preliminary evidence suggests that SEMS is a psychometrically sound measure to evaluate perceived self-efficacy of MS patients with moderate disability, and it would be a valuable instrument for both research and clinical applications.


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