scholarly journals Beliefs about Emotions, Depression, Anxiety and Fatigue: A Mediational Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Sydenham ◽  
Jennifer Beardwood ◽  
Katharine A. Rimes
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Self Compassion ◽  
Social Support Seeking ◽  
Support Seeking ◽  
Emotional Avoidance ◽  
Beliefs About Emotions ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Beliefs that it is unacceptable to experience or express negative emotions have been found to be associated with various clinical problems. It is unclear how such beliefs, which could be viewed as a form of unhelpful perfectionism about emotions, may contribute to symptomatology. Aims: This study investigated two hypotheses: a) greater endorsement of beliefs about the unacceptability of negative emotions will be associated with greater emotional avoidance and lower levels of support-seeking and self-compassion; b) these beliefs about emotions will be associated with higher levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety and fatigue and that this relationship will be mediated by social support-seeking, emotional avoidance and self-compassion. Method: Online questionnaires were completed by 451 community participants. Mediational analyses were undertaken to investigate emotional avoidance, social support-seeking and self-compassion as mediators of the relationship between beliefs about emotions and symptoms of depression, anxiety and fatigue. Results: Beliefs about the unacceptability of negative emotions were significantly associated with more emotional avoidance and less self-compassion and support-seeking. The relationships between beliefs about emotions and depression, anxiety and fatigue were significantly mediated by self-compassion and emotional avoidance but not social support-seeking. Conclusions: Future research should investigate whether interventions that pay particular attention to emotional avoidance and self-compassion, such as mindfulness-based therapy or modified forms of CBT, may be beneficial in reducing distress and fatigue associated with beliefs about the unacceptability of negative emotions.

scholarly journals Social Dimensions of Personal Growth following Widowhood: A Three-Wave Study

Gerontology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 344-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Recksiedler ◽  
Katharina Loter ◽  
Hannah S. Klaas ◽  
Betina Hollstein ◽  
Pasqualina Perrig-Chiello
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Social Embeddedness ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Support Seeking ◽  
Support Seeking ◽  
Time Varying Covariates

Background: Losing one’s spouse is one of the most stressful life events in old age, yet research on positive consequences of overcoming critical life events describes experiences of personal growth for survivors. Objective: Because prior studies conceptualized personal growth as a stable accomplishment of an individual, our study challenges this assumption by examining trajectories of personal growth and its links to two aspects of social support. We assume that personal growth is boosted by heightened levels of loss-related social support seeking during early years of widowhood. However, toward the later stages in the bereavement process, we expect personal growth to be fostered by perceived social embeddedness. Data and Method: Data stem from a survey on relationships in later life conducted in 2012, 2014, and 2016 in Switzerland. The final analytical sample consisted of 508 individuals aged 50+ years, who were on average 73 years old and widowed for about 3 years at baseline. Longitudinal explorative factor analyses yielded a 3-factorial solution for personal growth. Random-effects group-specific growth curves were used to examine the trajectories of personal growth and its subdimensions, by different levels of loss-related social support seeking and embeddedness in a supportive network, over the first 8 years of widowhood. Our analyses included time-invariant and time-varying covariates. Results: On average, our findings point to a stable trajectory of personal growth after having become widowed in later life. Group-specific analyses, however, showed different courses in the trajectories for specific subdimensions of personal growth – particularly for spiritual change and appreciation of life. Average marginal effects also yielded group differences by loss-related support seeking in the level of personal growth over time, which highlight the importance of social support seeking, rather than social embeddedness, at all stages of the bereavement process. Conclusion: Findings underline the importance of a longitudinal and linked-lives perspective on personal growth and point to different pathways regarding its various subdimensions. Future research should further examine the validity of personal growth scales for other populations and consider the possibility to experience personal growth already during the anticipation of a traumatic event (e.g., in the case of long-term caretaking).

scholarly journals Peer Victimization and Depressive Symptoms During Adolescence: Examining the Roles of Social Support and Internalizing Coping

2020 ◽  
pp. 027243162093119
Author(s):  
Allie M. Spiekerman ◽  
Melissa R. Witkow ◽  
Adrienne Nishina
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Peer Victimization ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Social Support Seeking ◽  
Support Seeking ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Effective Buffer

The purpose of this study was to examine how two coping strategies together moderate the relationship between peer victimization and adjustment among young adolescents. Sixth-grade adolescents from California, Oregon, and Wisconsin ( N = 1,058) self-reported peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and their utilization of social support seeking and internalizing coping. A regression analysis showed a significant three-way interaction between peer victimization, internalizing coping, and social support seeking in predicting depressive symptoms. Further analyses revealed that social support seeking only buffered the negative effects of peer victimization for participants who scored high on internalizing coping. Despite mean-level gender differences in these variables, gender did not moderate this association, suggesting that social support is an effective buffer against depressive symptoms following peer victimization for both boys and girls. These results suggest that attending to the variety of coping strategies adolescents employ simultaneously will help further our understanding of peer victimization outcomes.

scholarly journals LONELINESS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE MEDIATIONAL ROLES OF SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SEEKING

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 708-726
Author(s):  
Ellie Lisitsa ◽  
Katherine S. Benjamin ◽  
Sarah K. Chun ◽  
Jordan Skalisky ◽  
Lauren E. Hammond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Social Support Seeking ◽  
Lower Social Support ◽  
Support Seeking ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and shelter-at-home have become necessary for public health and safety in the United States. This period of social isolation may be a risk factor for mental health problems, particularly among young adults for whom rates of loneliness are already high. Young adults also engage in more social media use than other age groups, a form of socialization associated with adverse effects on mental health, including loneliness and depression. Methods: The current study examined potential mediating roles of social media use and social support seeking on the relationship between age and loneliness symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 1,674 adults who completed an online survey regarding depressive symptoms, loneliness, coping strategies, and changes to their daily lives as a result of the pandemic. Results: Results indicated that young adults were lonelier than older adults during the pandemic, showed a greater increase in social media use, and lower social support seeking. Higher increases in social media use and lower social support seeking mediated the relationship between age group and loneliness. Discussion: Findings are discussed in context of prior research and potential effects of stress and isolation during the pandemic. Clinical implications and suggestions for intervention are elaborated.

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