Predictors of Mental Health in Aid Workers: Meaning, Resilience, and Psychological Flexibility as Personal Resources for Increased Wellbeing and Reduced Distress

BackgroundAcceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is increasingly being used to treat mental health difficulties, however there is a paucity of reviews concerning ACT with children.AimTo examine the literature about ACT interventions for child and adolescent mental well-being.MethodsSearches for articles reporting on ACT interventions to prevent/reduce child mental health difficulties were undertaken. Methodological quality was assessed and a narrative synthesis was used to summarize findings about mental health symptoms and psychological flexibility.ResultsTen articles were identified focusing on prevention and intervention for anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, and trichotillomania. Most studies found that mental health symptoms reduced following an ACT intervention and psychological flexibility increased. However, findings indicate that other active interventions also led to the same changes.ConclusionsACT is a promising intervention for adolescent mental health, although further research is needed to establish whether reductions in mental health symptoms are due to an increase in psychological flexibility.

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Keep the fire burning: a survey study on the role of personal resources for work engagement and burnout in medical residents and specialists in the Netherlands

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-031053 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. e031053 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lara Solms ◽

Annelies E M van Vianen ◽

Tim Theeboom ◽

Jessie Koen ◽

Anne P J de Pagter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Netherlands ◽

Work Engagement ◽

Psychological Capital ◽

Job Demands ◽

Psychological Flexibility ◽

Well Being ◽

Medical Residents ◽

Job Resources ◽

Survey Study ◽

Personal Resources

ObjectivesThe high prevalence of burnout among medical residents and specialists raises concerns about the stressful demands in healthcare. This study investigated which job demands and job resources and personal resources are associated with work engagement and burnout and whether the effects of these demands and resources differ for medical residents and specialists.DesignIn a survey study among residents and specialists, we assessed job demands, job resources, personal resources, work engagement and burnout symptoms using validated questionnaires (January to December 2017). Results were analysed using multivariate generalised linear model, ordinary least squares regression analyses and path analyses.SettingFive academic and general hospitals in the Netherlands.ParticipantsA total number of 124 residents and 69 specialists participated in this study. Participants worked in the fields of pediatrics, internal medicine and neurology.ResultsThe associations of job and personal resources with burnout and work engagement differed for residents and specialists. Psychological capital was associated with burnout only for specialists (b=−0.58, p<0.001), whereas psychological flexibility was associated with burnout only for residents (b=−0.31, p<0.001). Colleague support (b=0.49, p<0.001) and self-compassion (b=−0.33, p=0.004) were associated with work engagement only for specialists.ConclusionThis study suggests that particularly personal resources safeguard the work engagement and lessen the risk of burnout of residents and specialists. Both residents and specialists benefit from psychological capital to maintain optimal functioning. In addition, residents benefit from psychological flexibility, while specialists benefit from colleague support. Personal resources seem important protective factors for physicians’ work engagement and well-being. When promoting physician well-being, a one-size-fits-all approach might not be effective but, instead, interventions should be tailored to the specific needs of specialists and residents.

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The Relationship between Personal Resources and Depression in a Sample of Victims of Cyberbullying: Comparison of Groups with and without Symptoms of Depression

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17249307 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (24) ◽

pp. 9307

Author(s):

Lourdes Rey ◽

Cirenia Quintana-Orts ◽

Sergio Mérida-López ◽

Natalio Extremera

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Emotional Intelligence ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Personal Resources ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

And Function ◽

The Relationship ◽

Adolescent Victims

Previous research has highlighted the relationship between being cybervictimised and the presence of clinical symptoms, such as depression. To date, however, there has been no comparative analysis of the personal resources profiles of adolescent victims of cyberbullying with and without depressive symptoms. The current study analysed the relationship between positive personal resources and clinical symptoms in 251 adolescent victims of cyberbullying at several Spanish high schools. It examined how several positive personal resources varied in adolescent victims of cyberbullying who displayed symptoms of depression (n = 89) or did not (n = 162). Victims of cyberbullying who displayed depressive symptoms reported lower levels of personal resources (emotional intelligence, gratitude, optimism, and forgiveness) than those who did not. Logistic regression provided evidence that gratitude was the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms in victims of cyberbullying, followed by emotional intelligence and optimism. These findings expand the existing literature on the role of personal resources in mental health and highlight the need for their development in youths to help them cope more effectively and function better after being cyberbullied.

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Factors Associated With Adverse Mental Health Outcomes in Locally Recruited Aid Workers Assisting Iraqi Refugees in Jordan

Journal of Aggression Maltreatment & Trauma ◽

10.1080/10926771.2013.803506 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 22 (6) ◽

pp. 660-680 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Cynthia B. Eriksson ◽

Barbara Lopes Cardozo ◽

Frida Ghitis ◽

Miriam Sabin ◽

Carol Gotway Crawford ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Aid Workers ◽

Iraqi Refugees ◽

Factors Associated

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WORK-RELATED STRESS, PERSONAL RESOURCES AND MENTAL HEALTH IN HIGH RISK PROFESSIONS: CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY

Psychological Applications and Trends 2020 ◽

10.36315/2020inpact047 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Martina Chylova ◽

◽

Jana Nezkusilova ◽

Livia Pestova ◽

Monika Seilerova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

High Risk ◽

Personal Resources ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Work Related Stress ◽

Work Related ◽

Related Stress

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Psychological Flexibility as a Moderator of the Relationships between Job Demands and Resources and Occupational Well-being

The Spanish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1017/sjp.2018.14 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Vladimir Pinto Novaes ◽

Maria Cristina Ferreira ◽

Felipe Valentini

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Job Satisfaction ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Job Demands ◽

Psychological Flexibility ◽

Well Being ◽

Personal Resources ◽

Work Overload ◽

Negative Affects

AbstractThe aim of this study was to identify the relations of job demands (work overload) and job resources (social support and autonomy) with subjective job well-being (job satisfaction, positive affects, negative affects), as well as the moderating role of personal resources (psychological flexibility at work) in such relationships. The sample consisted of 4,867 Brazilian workers, of both sexes, with ages ranging from 18 to 67 years. Structural equation modelling showed that the work overload was negatively associated with job satisfaction (β = –.06; p < .001) and positively with negative affects (β = .24; p < .001); autonomy was positively associated with satisfaction (β = .08; p < .001) and negative affects (β = .08; p < .001); social support was positively associated with satisfaction (β = .17; p < .001) and positive affects (β = .20; p < .001), and negatively with negative affects (β = –.21; p < .001); psychological flexibility moderated the relationships of overload with satisfaction (β = .04; p < .05) and negative affects (β = .08; p < .001); autonomy with positive affects (β = –.06; p < .001) and social support with negative affects (β = .08; p < .001). These results are discussed from perspective of a job demands-resources theory, especially with respect to the relevance of personal resources for the promotion of occupational well-being.

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Sense of Coherence as a Determinant of Psychological Well-Being Across Professional Groups of Aid Workers Exposed to War Trauma

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260515590125 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 32 (13) ◽

pp. 1899-1920 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Guido Veronese ◽

Alessandro Pepe

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sense Of Coherence ◽

Psychological Functioning ◽

General Health Questionnaire ◽

Well Being ◽

War Trauma ◽

Aid Workers ◽

Professional Groups ◽

Positive Psychological Functioning ◽

Professional Profile

The present study aims to test whether sense of coherence (SOC) acts as a determinant of positive psychological functioning in aid workers directly exposed to warfare. Specifically, we performed multiple regression analyses to compare different groups of aid workers in terms of the effects of SOC and cumulative trauma on their psychological distress. Palestinian helpers, both professional and non-professional ( N = 159) completed three self-reported measures: the General Health questionnaire, Sense of Coherence Scale, and Impact of Events Scale. The findings bear out the predictive power of SOC and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in relation to mental health across different professional groups. In particular, volunteers without a specific professional profile, psychiatrists, medical doctors, and less markedly counselors seemed to protect their mental health through a SOC. Clinical implications and recommendations for training and supervision are discussed.

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