scholarly journals Autobiographical Meaning Making Protects the Sense of Self-Continuity Past Forced Migration

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christin Camia ◽  
Rida Zafar
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Narrative Coherence ◽  
Forced Displacement ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Personal Experiences

Forced migration changes people’s lives and their sense of self-continuity fundamentally. One memory-based mechanism to protect the sense of self-continuity and psychological well-being is autobiographical meaning making, enabling individuals to explain change in personality and life by connecting personal experiences and other distant parts of life to the self and its development. Aiming to replicate and extend prior research, the current study investigated whether autobiographical meaning making has the potential to support the sense of self-continuity in refugees. We therefore collected life narratives from 31 refugees that were coded for autobiographical reasoning, self-event connections, and global narrative coherence. In line with prior research, results suggest that autobiographical meaning making relates to a higher sense of self-continuity and less psychological distress. Yet, if refugees experienced many continuing postdisplacement stressors in addition to their forced displacement, autobiographical meaning making was associated with higher self-discontinuity and greater psychological distress, especially with trauma-related symptoms such as memory intrusion and hyperarousal. Altogether, results indicate that autobiographical meaning making helps to compensate the effects of extreme biographical disruptions on the sense of self-continuity, as long as the stress caused by the biographical change is not overwhelming or too protracted.

scholarly journals Keep Calm and Carry On: The Relations Between Narrative Coherence, Trauma, Social Support, Psychological Well-Being, and Cortisol Responses

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauranne Vanaken ◽  
Tom Smeets ◽  
Patricia Bijttebier ◽  
Dirk Hermans
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Stress Test ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Narrative Coherence ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Thematic Coherence

In order to explain trauma resilience, previous research has been investigating possible risk and protective factors, both on an individual and a contextual level. In this experimental study, we examined narrative coherence and social support in relation to trauma resilience. Participants were asked to write about a turning point memory, after which they did the Maastricht Acute Stress Test, our lab analog of a traumatic event. Following, half of the participants received social support, whereas the other half did not. Afterwards, all participants wrote a narrative on the traumatic event. Moment-to-moment fluctuations in psychological and physiological well-being throughout the experiment were investigated with state anxiety questionnaires and cortisol measures. Results showed that narratives of traumatic experiences were less coherent than narratives of turning point memories. However, contrary to our predictions, coherence, and, in particular, thematic coherence, related positively to anxiety levels. Possibly, particular types of thematic coherence are a non-adaptive form of coping, which reflect unfinished attempts at meaning-making and are more similar to continuous rumination than to arriving at a resolution. Furthermore, coherence at baseline could not buffer against the impact of trauma on anxiety levels in this study. Contrary to our hypotheses, social support did not have the intended beneficial effects on coherence, neither on well-being. Multiple explanations as to why our support manipulation remained ineffective are suggested. Remarkably, lower cortisol levels at baseline and after writing about the turning point memory predicted higher coherence in the trauma narratives. This may suggest that the ability to remain calm in difficult situations does relate to the ability to cope adaptively with future difficult experiences. Clinical and social implications of the present findings are discussed, and future research recommendations on the relations between narrative coherence, social support, and trauma resilience are addressed.

scholarly journals Self-worth and bonding emotions are related to well-being in health-care providers: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Weilenmann ◽  
Ulrich Schnyder ◽  
Nina Keller ◽  
Claudio Corda ◽  
Tobias R. Spiller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Basic Needs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Self Worth

Abstract Background Interacting with patients can elicit a myriad of emotions in health-care providers. This may result in satisfaction or put providers at risk for stress-related conditions such as burnout. The present study attempted to identify emotions that promote provider well-being. Following eudaimonic models of well-being, we tested whether certain types of emotions that reflect fulfilment of basic needs (self-worth, bonding with patients) rather than positive emotions in general (as suggested by hedonic models) are linked to well-being. Specifically, we hypothesized that well-being is associated with positive emotions directed at the self, which reflect self-worth, and positive as well as negative emotions (e.g., worry) directed at the patient, which reflect bonding. However, we expected positive emotions directed at an object/situation (e.g., curiosity for a treatment) to be unrelated to well-being, because they do not reflect fulfilment of basic needs. Methods Fifty eight physicians, nurses, and psychotherapists participated in the study. First, in qualitative interviews, they reported their emotions directed at the self, the patient, or an object/situation during distressing interactions with patients. These emotions were categorised into positive emotions directed towards the self, the patient, and an object/situation, and negative emotions directed towards the patient that reflect bonding. Second, providers completed questionnaires to assess their hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The well-being scores of providers who did and did not experience these emotions were compared. Results Providers who experienced positive emotions directed towards the self or the patient had higher well-being than those who did not. Moreover, for the first time, we found evidence for higher well-being in providers reporting negative patient-directed emotions during distressing interactions. There was no difference between providers who did and did not experience positive object/situation-directed emotions. Conclusions These findings may point towards the importance of “eudaimonic” emotions rather than just positive emotions in interactions with patients. Emotions such as contentment with oneself, joy for the patient’s improvement, and, notably, grief or worry for the patient may build a sense of self-worth and strengthen bonding with the patient. This may explain their association with provider well-being.

“All the Different Pieces of Me Being Integrated”: Religion/Spirituality and Identity in Working Christian Mothers

2021 ◽  
pp. 009164712199063
Author(s):  
Elizabeth K. Laney ◽  
Lisa A. Carruthers ◽  
M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall ◽  
Tamara L. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Current Data ◽  
The Self ◽  
Spiritual Identity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Theory Method ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Grounded Theory Method ◽  
Women's Lives

The current qualitative study explored experiences of religion/spirituality and their impact on women’s identities among Christian working mothers in academia. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted and the data analyzed using the grounded theory method. The resultant themes reflected the roles and functions of religion/spirituality in women’s lives and in their identities, primarily by establishing a core sense of self that unified all of their roles and “selves.” Religion/spirituality also served as meaning-making frameworks that provided purpose both to the self and to each of the women’s roles, while religion/spirituality also pervaded every aspect of the self, coloring women’s experience and driving their decisions. Further, women discussed religion/spirituality providing a sense of purpose by which they could pursue actualization and transcendence through generative means in each of their roles. The results indicate that spiritual identity may be a broader and more fundamental element of identity than previously considered. Implications of the current data and suggestions for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals An Ethnographic Perspective of Well-Being, Salutogenesis and Meaning Making among Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the Gambia and the United Kingdom

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 324
Author(s):  
Brianne Wenning
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Gambia ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers

Research on refugees and asylum seekers largely focuses on the negative impacts that forced migration has on well-being. Though most individuals do not experience poor long-term mental health because of forced migration, less attention has been given to what factors promote positive well-being. Using an ethnographic approach, I elucidate how the concept of salutogenesis can be applied to African refugees and asylum seekers living in the greater Serrekunda area of the Gambia and in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the United Kingdom. Specifically, I explore what resources impact on the sense of coherence construct and its three components—comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness—and how these are embedded in everyday discussions and understandings. In total, I spent twenty months conducting ethnographic fieldwork between the two sites and conducted forty individual interviews. Amongst my interlocutors, the three most common resources that people spoke positively about, particularly as it relates to meaning making, are work, education and religion. Further research in this area is crucial in order to identify, promote and strengthen those factors facilitating positive well-being amongst those who have been forcibly displaced.

scholarly journals Measuring ‘self’: preliminary validation of a short form of the Self Experiences Questionnaire in people with chronic pain

2021 ◽  
pp. 204946372199486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Yu ◽  
Whitney Scott ◽  
Rupert Goodman ◽  
Lizzie Driscoll ◽  
Lance M McCracken
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Social Adjustment ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Cognitive Fusion ◽  
Good Reliability ◽  
Acceptance And Commitment ◽  
Interdisciplinary Pain Management

Background: People with chronic pain often struggle with their sense of self and this can adversely impact their functioning and well-being. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy particularly includes a process related to this struggle with self. A measure for this process, the Self Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ), was previously developed in people with chronic pain. Purpose: The aim of the current study was to validate a shorter version of the SEQ in people with chronic pain to reduce respondent burden and facilitate further research. Methods: Data from 477 participants attending an interdisciplinary pain management programme were included. Participants completed measures of treatment processes (self-as-context, pain acceptance, cognitive fusion and committed action) and outcomes (pain, pain interference, work and social adjustment and depression) at baseline and post-treatment. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for item reduction. Correlations between scores from the shorter SEQ and other process and outcome variables were calculated to examine validity. Change scores of the shorter SEQ and their correlations with changes in outcome variables were examined for responsiveness. Results: An eight-item SEQ (SEQ-8) scale including two factors, namely Self-as-Distinction and Self-as-Observer, emerged, demonstrating good reliability (Cronbach’s α = .87–.90) and validity (|r| = .14–.52). Scores from SEQ-8 significantly improved after the treatment (d = .15–21), and these improvements correlated with improvements in most outcomes. Conclusions: The SEQ-8 appears to be a reliable and valid measure of self. This shorter format may facilitate intensive longitudinal investigation into sense of self and functioning and well-being.

scholarly journals Defence versus Development: A Theory of Defensive and Expansive Self-Regulation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaime Rojas Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Psychological States ◽  
Regulation Theory ◽  
The World

This article presents a macro theory of self-regulation: defensive and expansive self-regulation theory (DERT). It rests on two fundamental assumptions. First, it assumes the coexistence of two competing psychological systems: a defensive system motivated by the need for physical and psychological security, whose function is to protect the organism from harm to life and self, and an expansive system motivated by the needs for competence, relatedness and autonomy, whose function is the development of knowledge, skills, and social support. Second, DERT assumes a threefold distinction regarding consciousness, with psychological processes qualifying as either nonconscious, conscious or metaconscious. Based on the previous assumptions, the theory posits the coexistence of two self-regulatory modes: a defensive regulation, consisting of self-protective responses aimed at avoiding, escaping or fighting survival threats and self-threats, and an expansive regulation, consisting of non-defensive metaconsciousness of one’s psychological states and processes. Defensive regulation is assumed to be generally adaptive in the context of survival threats but not in that of self-threats. What is called for in the context of self-threats is expansive regulation, namely non-defensive metaconsciousness of the identifications, evaluations and interpretations of self, others and the world that cause the self-threats in the first place. The theory predicts that defensive and expansive regulation of self-threats cause psychological distress and well-being, and negative and positive interpersonal relationships, respectively.

scholarly journals Low Self-esteem and its Relation with Psychological Distress among Dental Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Sabri Radeef ◽  
Ghasak Ghazi Faisal
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Female Students ◽  
The Self ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation

Since self-esteem has been recognized to predict health and psychological well-being, it is crucial to assess the self-esteem and its relation with psychological distress. Methodology: This study was conducted among 257 dental students. The psychological distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) while self-esteem was assessed using the adult form of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Results: Female students had significantly lower self-esteem compared to male students (51.4 and 59.1 respectively). There is a strong negative correlation between psychological distress and self-esteem (r= -0.5, p<0.00). Students with psychological distress had significantly lower mean self-esteem score compared to those who are not distressed (43.07 and 60.03 respectively). Conclusion: Low self-esteem is higher among female students and self-esteem is negatively correlated to psychological distress among undergraduate students.

How does a narrative understanding of change in families post brain injury help us to humanise our professional practice?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Charlotte J Whiffin ◽  
Caroline Ellis-Hill
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Family Change ◽  
Post Injury ◽  
Narrative Approaches ◽  
Negative Change ◽  
Narrative Understanding

Abstract In this paper, we critically explore the discourse of change post brain injury and challenge the dominant discourse of negative change, which alone leaves little room for other perspectives to exist. These negative changes pose a considerable risk to the well-being of families who may benefit from engaging in richer accounts making room for a more coherent and connected sense of self and family post-injury. We explore how narrative approaches provide opportunities for all practitioners to expand their professional scripts and support families to move towards a future which is not dominated by a discourse of loss. While loss and negative change is an important and very real consequence, of brain injury, focusing purely on stories of loss is life limiting for family members and can cause psychological distress. The life thread model is offered as a visible tool for all practitioners to engage with and use while working with families, providing a concrete focus for reflection and discussion of narratives relating to change which otherwise can feel quite abstract in everyday practice. We argue that one way we can humanise our professional practice is to support all practitioners to engage in a narrative understanding of family change following ABI.

‘Keeping busy with purpose’: How meaningful occupation can shape the experience of forced migration

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen Claire Hart
Keyword(s):  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Key Skills ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
The Hours ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Right

AbstractForced migration creates multiple barriers to everyday life, including individual’s access to dignified and meaningful daily occupations. Without the activities that form family life, self-care, work, leisure, and community participation, individuals can find themselves struggling to fill the hours in their days and feeling they exist on the margins of society. This article reflects the findings of a small-scale phenomenological study exploring the meaning of everyday occupations to people seeking asylum in the UK. A series of in-depth interviews, conducted with 10 people, explored the role of daily occupation in their country of origin and in the UK. The study found that restrictions on daily activities had a significant impact on their well-being and sense of self-worth. They highlighted how limited their opportunities were and acknowledged the value of meaningful daily occupations as a means to ‘keep busy with purpose’. There is growing evidence that occupation has the potential to be of benefit to people during the post-migratory period: maintaining health, preserving key skills, retaining a sense of self, and increasing integration. This study shows the multiple gains associated with purposeful activity, including how the right kind of occupation can promote self-worth at a time when people often feel devalued. The article encourages the reader to consider how increased access to activity can promote well-being and to consider challenging the occupational injustices behind asylum policy.

Associations Between Dutch LGBT Hate Crime Experience, Well-Being, Trust in the Police and Future Hate Crime Reporting

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-182
Author(s):  
Allard R. Feddes ◽  
Kai J. Jonas
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Hate Crime ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Crime Victims ◽  
Crime Reporting ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Building Trust ◽  
Reporting Intentions

Abstract. LGBT-related hate crime is a conscious act of aggression against an LGBT citizen. The present research investigates associations between hate crime, psychological well-being, trust in the police and intentions to report future experiences of hate crime. A survey study was conducted among 391 LGBT respondents in the Netherlands. Sixteen percent experienced hate crime in the 12 months prior. Compared to non-victims, victims had significant lower psychological well-being, lower trust in the police and lower intentions to report future hate crime. Hate crime experience and lower psychological well-being were associated with lower reporting intentions through lower trust in the police. Helping hate crime victims cope with psychological distress in combination with building trust in the police could positively influence future reporting.

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