Differential Susceptibility to the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Working Memory, Empathy, and Perceived Stress: The Role of Cortisol and Resilience

There are important individual differences in adaptation and reactivity to stressful challenges. Being subjected to strict social confinement is a distressful psychological experience leading to reduced emotional well-being, but it is not known how it can affect the cognitive and empathic tendencies of different individuals. Cortisol, a key glucocorticoid in humans, is a strong modulator of brain function, behavior, and cognition, and the diurnal cortisol rhythm has been postulated to interact with environmental stressors to predict stress adaptation. The present study investigates in 45 young adults (21.09 years old, SD = 6.42) whether pre-pandemic diurnal cortisol indices, overall diurnal cortisol secretion (AUCg) and cortisol awakening response (CAR) can predict individuals’ differential susceptibility to the impact of strict social confinement during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on working memory, empathy, and perceived stress. We observed that, following long-term home confinement, there was an increase in subjects’ perceived stress and cognitive empathy scores, as well as an improvement in visuospatial working memory. Moreover, during confinement, resilient coping moderated the relationship between perceived stress scores and pre-pandemic AUCg and CAR. In addition, in mediation models, we observed a direct effect of AUCg and an indirect effect of both CAR and AUCg, on change in perceived self-efficacy. These effects were parallelly mediated by the increase in working memory span and cognitive empathy. In summary, our findings reveal the role of the diurnal pattern of cortisol in predicting the emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting a potential biomarker for the identification of at-risk groups following public health crises.

Download Full-text

Perceived stress and psychological well-being of working mothers during COVID-19: a mediated moderated roles of teleworking and resilience

Employee Relations ◽

10.1108/er-05-2020-0244 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Vartika Kapoor ◽

Jaya Yadav ◽

Lata Bajpai ◽

Shalini Srivastava

Keyword(s):

Perceived Stress ◽

Working Mothers ◽

Well Being ◽

Inverse Association ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Content Type ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship ◽

Practical Implications

PurposeThe present study examines the mediating role of teleworking and the moderating role of resilience in explaining the relationship between perceived stress and psychological well-being of working mothers in India. Conservation of resource theory (COR) is taken to support the present study.Design/methodology/approachThe data of 326 respondents has been collected from working mothers in various sectors of Delhi NCR region of India. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for construct validity, and SPSS Macro Process (Hayes) was used for testing the hypotheses.FindingsThe results of the study found an inverse association between perceived stress and psychological well-being. Teleworking acted as a partial mediator and resilience proved to be a significant moderator for teleworking-well-being relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based at Delhi NCR of India, and future studies may be based on a diverse population within the country to generalize the findings in different cultural and industrial contexts. The present work is based only on the psychological well-being of the working mothers, it can be extended to study the organizational stress for both the genders and other demographic variables.Practical implicationsThe study extends the research on perceived stress and teleworking by empirically testing the association between perceived stress and psychological well-being in the presence of teleworking as a mediating variable. The findings suggest some practical implications for HR managers and OD Practitioners. The organizations must develop a plan to support working mothers by providing flexible working hours and arranging online stress management programs for them.Originality/valueAlthough teleworking is studied previously, there is a scarcity of research examining the impact of teleworking on psychological well-being of working mothers in Asian context. It would help in understanding the process that how teleworking has been stressful for working mothers and also deliberate the role of resilience in the relationship between teleworking and psychological well-being due to perceived stress, as it seems a ray of hope in new normal work situations.

Download Full-text

Reported Growth Following Mountaineering Expeditions: The Role of Personality and Perceived Stress

Environment and Behavior ◽

10.1177/0013916516670447 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 49 (8) ◽

pp. 933-955 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

N. Smith ◽

F. Kinnafick ◽

S. J. Cooley ◽

G. M. Sandal

Keyword(s):

Psychological Adjustment ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Psychological Resilience ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Present Cross Sectional Study ◽

The Impact

Results from previous studies suggest that stressful environmental conditions such as those faced on expedition may result in psychological growth. Building on previous research, the present cross-sectional study examined the role of personality and perceived stress in relation to post-expedition growth. Eighty-three participants who had completed a mountaineering expedition responded to measures of stress, personality, growth, well-being, and resilience. Findings implicate perceived stress, and personality dimensions of agreeableness and openness, in post-expedition growth. Growth was associated with well-being but distinct from psychological resilience, highlighting the need to consider growth and resilience independently. Present findings support the proposition that stressful expedition environments may promote positive psychological adjustment and identify factors that may influence this change. Research is needed to delineate the impact of other variables, such as coping, on changes that occurs during the post-expedition phase. Such research holds relevance for maintaining health following immersion in extreme and unusual environments.

Download Full-text

Psychological Resilience, Stress, and Pain: The Moderating Role of Positive Affect and Well-Being

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1121 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 290-290

Author(s):

Calia Morais ◽

Michael Robinson ◽

Roger Fillingim ◽

Emily Bartley

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Positive Affect ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Physical Functioning ◽

Psychological Factors ◽

Well Being ◽

Inverse Association ◽

The Impact ◽

Moderating Role

Abstract Chronic low back pain is the leading cause of disability among older adults. The impact of psychological factors, including high levels of stress, are associated with increased risk for pain. Despite the growing evidence suggesting that psychological well-being is associated with better health outcomes, limited research has examined positive psychological factors in the context of pain among older adults. In this secondary data analyses of we examined the association of perceived stress on pain and physical functioning, and the moderating role of positive affect and well-being (PAW) on these relationships. A total of 60 adults over the age of 60 completed completed questionnaires assessing perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale) and positive affect and well-being (Neuro-QOL PAW). The Back Performance Scale measured back-related physical functioning and movement-evoked pain. We hypothesized that PAW would be inversely associated with pain outcomes and would moderate the relationship between perceived stress and pain. Bivariate correlations assessed the association between study variables, while the interaction of PAW and perceived stress was examined via linear regression. Age (r=.30), income (r=.28), and being married (r=.32) were associated with higher PAW scores, while there was an inverse association with movement-evoked pain (r=-.28). After controlling for demographic covariates, moderation analysis revealed that higher levels of perceived stress were associated with poorer physical functioning, but only among those with lower positive affect and well-being (b=0.14). As seen, examining the influence of positive psychological functioning on pain-related outcomes has important clinical implications that may promote positive pain adaptation in this population.

Download Full-text

Dementia Care-Related Stress and Working Memory Performance: Examining the Mediating Role of Sleep

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1739 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 451-451

Author(s):

Ashley Blasi ◽

Francesca Falzarano

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Memory Performance ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Well Being ◽

Dementia Care ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Related Stress ◽

The Impact

Abstract Dementia Family caregivers often experience significant stress and burden, which has been associated with a myriad of adverse effects on physical and mental health, as well as cognition. The impact of caregiving on health and well-being may have negative implications on the provision of quality and effective care. Specifically, working memory is a key domain of cognition that ultimately underlies logic and decision making processes. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to examine the associations between dementia care-related stress and working memory, as well as potential mediators of this relationship, in a sample of 50 primary caregivers who completed measures examining stress, including burden and overload, and several domains of cognition. Our results showed that higher levels of caregiving overload were associated with worse working memory performance, measured using the N-back task. Additionally, we found that lower sleep quality fully mediated the relationship between overload and working memory performance, such that the negative effects of overload on working memory performance may operate as a result of sleep impairment. By determining the mediating role of sleep while also providing evidence to support the negative relationship between stress and working memory, our results provide support for the development of interventions that target factors such as burden and sleep quality to help mitigate stress in caregivers.

Download Full-text

Highly sensitive adolescent benefits in positive school transitions: Evidence for vantage sensitivity in Japanese high-schoolers

10.31234/osf.io/kmxqs ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shuhei Iimura

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Statistical Power ◽

Environmental Influences ◽

Differential Susceptibility ◽

School Transition ◽

Well Being ◽

Crossover Point ◽

Japanese Adolescents ◽

Highly Sensitive

Some researchers indicate that the transition to high school deflects adolescent developmental trajectories. Others assert it provides a new possibility for the promotion of adolescents’ socioemotional well-being. One critical view missing in such claims is that individual variabilities interact with environmental influences. We employed the framework of Differential Susceptibility Theory, which postulates that individual susceptibilities moderate external influences for better and for worse. In order to clarify the mechanism of adolescents’ differential adjustments, this paper investigated the role of sensory-processing sensitivity using the Japanese version of Highly Sensitive Child Scale for Adolescence (J-HSCS), and tested whether the diathesis-stress model or the differential susceptibility model best describes students’ socioemotional adjustment across their high school transition. The current paper used the two-wave data collected from Japanese adolescents aged from 14 to 15 years (n = 412, 50% girls). In Study 1, we investigated the replicability of psychometric properties of J-HSCS. The results supported previous findings, indicating its validity for the bifactor model. In Study 2, we utilized confirmatory competitive model testing, which maximizes statistical power by parameterizing the crossover point to allow a direct comparison of alternative models. The results indicated that neither the diathesis-stress nor the differential susceptibility models fitted the data. Rather, a strong vantage sensitivity model was revealed, suggesting that highly susceptible adolescents disproportionately benefitted from a positive school transition over their counterparts. This finding signified the role of adolescents’ sensitivity to environmental influences and the importance of considering its moderation under person x environment interactions.

Download Full-text

The link between coronavirus, anxiety, and religious beliefs in the United States and United Kingdom

10.31234/osf.io/wykeq ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Francesco Rigoli

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

United Kingdom ◽

Religious Beliefs ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Christian Faith ◽

Stressful Event ◽

Cultural Implications ◽

The Impact

Research has shown that stress impacts on people’s religious beliefs. However, several aspects of this effect remain poorly understood, for example regarding the role of prior religiosity and stress-induced anxiety. This paper explores these aspects in the context of the recent coronavirus emergency. The latter has impacted dramatically on many people’s well-being; hence it can be considered a highly stressful event. Through online questionnaires administered to UK and USA citizens professing either Christian faith or no religion, this paper examines the impact of the coronavirus crisis upon common people’s religious beliefs. We found that, following the coronavirus emergency, strong believers reported higher confidence in their religious beliefs while non-believers reported increased scepticism towards religion. Moreover, for strong believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus threat was associated with increased strengthening of religious beliefs. Conversely, for non-believers, higher anxiety elicited by the coronavirus thereat was associated with increased scepticism towards religious beliefs. These observations are consistent with the notion that stress-induced anxiety enhances support for the ideology already embraced before a stressful event occurs. This study sheds light on the psychological and cultural implications of the coronavirus crisis, which represents one of the most serious health emergencies in recent times.

Download Full-text

Family Physicians’ Standpoint and Mental Health Assessment in the Light of COVID-19 Pandemic—A Nationwide Survey Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18042093 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 2093

Author(s):

Tina Vilovic ◽

Josko Bozic ◽

Marino Vilovic ◽

Doris Rusic ◽

Sanja Zuzic Furlan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Care ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Family Physicians ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Well Being ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Event Scale ◽

The Impact

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, family physicians (FPs) are the backbone of the healthcare system with considerable impact on the general population, and their well-being is of great importance. The aim of this investigation was to assess FPs mental health, as well as knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAPs) regarding the pandemic, and opinions on non-communicable disease (NCD) health care provided to patients. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 613 FPs. Anxiety and depression levels were estimated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, subjective perceived stress with the Perceived Stress Scale, while trauma-related symptoms were assessed using the Impact on Event Scale-COVID19. KAPs toward the pandemic and opinions regarding NCD patients were evaluated with questionnaires accordingly. Results have shown that age (β = −0.02, p = 0.013) and personal risk of COVID‑19 (β = 1.05, p < 0.001) were significant independent correlates of the knowledge score. A total of 87.7% FPs expressed moderate/high perceived stress, 45.2% moderate/severe trauma-related symptoms, 60.4% borderline/abnormal anxiety levels, and 52.4% borderline/abnormal depression levels. Knowledge score was an independent predictor of perceived stress (β = −0.33, p = 0.023) and anxiety (β = −0.31, p = 0.006) levels. Limited accessibility to healthcare services and decreased number of newly-diagnosed NCD cases were mostly agreed on. The pandemic puts a considerable strain on FPs mental health, as well as on public health measures, due to the decreased overall quality of NCD patient health care. Educational programs may bridge the gaps between FPs’ knowledge. Thus lowering anxiety and improving patient care.

Download Full-text

National movement patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand: the unexplored role of neighbourhood deprivation

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2020-216108 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. jech-2020-216108 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Malcolm Campbell ◽

Lukas Marek ◽

Jesse Wiki ◽

Matthew Hobbs ◽

Clive E Sabel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Well Being ◽

Policy Debate ◽

Population Mobility ◽

Neighbourhood Deprivation ◽

Movement Data ◽

Spatial Inequalities ◽

The Impact

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has asked unprecedented questions of governments around the world. Policy responses have disrupted usual patterns of movement in society, locally and globally, with resultant impacts on national economies and human well-being. These interventions have primarily centred on enforcing lockdowns and introducing social distancing recommendations, leading to questions of trust and competency around the role of institutions and the administrative apparatus of state. This study demonstrates the unequal societal impacts in population movement during a national ‘lockdown’.MethodsWe use nationwide mobile phone movement data to quantify the effect of an enforced lockdown on population mobility by neighbourhood deprivation using an ecological study design. We then derive a mobility index using anonymised aggregated population counts for each neighbourhood (2253 Census Statistical Areas; mean population n=2086) of national hourly mobile phone location data (7.45 million records, 1 March 2020–20 July 2020) for New Zealand (NZ).ResultsCurtailing movement has highlighted and exacerbated underlying social and spatial inequalities. Our analysis reveals the unequal movements during ‘lockdown’ by neighbourhood socioeconomic status in NZ.ConclusionIn understanding inequalities in neighbourhood movements, we are contributing critical new evidence to the policy debate about the impact(s) and efficacy of national, regional or local lockdowns which have sparked such controversy.

Download Full-text

The Moderating Impact of Attending Services on the Effect of Older Adults’ Discrimination Experiences on Loneliness

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1035 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 323-323

Author(s):

Dahee Kim ◽

Kyuho Lee

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Perceived Discrimination ◽

Well Being ◽

Religious Community ◽

Religious Activities ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Religious Behaviors ◽

Religious Services ◽

The Impact

Abstract Research has shown that perceived discriminations impact physical and mental health in later life. Discrimination experiences could make older adults consider themselves as a social misfit and decrease their social interactions, which finally increases their loneliness. Religious behaviors has been reported as a key factor of a lower sense of isolation. Considering that religious behaviors provide opportunities to engage in more extensive social networks and have supportive social ties with community members, attending religious services might decrease the impact of older adults’ perceived discrimination on loneliness. The current research aims to examine the moderating role of religious services attendance in the association between older adults’ perceived discrimination and loneliness. We used data of 4,488 adults aged 50 to 80 (M=66.27, SD=10.15) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) collected in 2012 and 2014. Linear regression analysis was performed to investigate whether older adults’ religious service attendance might decrease the impact of their perceived discriminations in daily life on the level of loneliness. The results indicated that more perceived discriminations older adults face on a daily basis were significantly associated with higher levels of loneliness. However, participants who frequently attended religious services showed a lower impact of perceived discriminations on their loneliness. These findings highlight the positive effects of engaging in religious activities on discriminated older adults’ social well-being. These findings also emphasize the role of the religious community as a social resource for socially marginalized older adults.

Download Full-text

Alternative Friendships to Improve Men’s Health Status. The Impact of the New Alternative Masculinities’ Approach

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18042188 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 2188

Author(s):

Oriol Ríos-González ◽

Mimar Ramis-Salas ◽

Juan Carlos Peña-Axt ◽

Sandra Racionero-Plaza

Keyword(s):

Physical Health ◽

Traffic Accidents ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Problems ◽

Healthy Behaviors ◽

Physical Health Problems ◽

Alternative Masculinities ◽

The Impact

Background: Men who develop behaviors connected with the model of hegemonic masculinity present several health problems. Previous research has shown the types of problems that men commonly suffer in this regard such as chronic diseases, dietary disorders, and traffic accidents. To combat and overcome this situation, several campaigns, policies and recommendations have been undertaken, and consequently, their influence has been analyzed. However, there have been few investigations into the role of men’s friendship in the reduction of these physical health problems. The findings presented in this article are focused on this issue, illustrating the impact of male friendship on the shaping of healthy behaviors. Methods: Drawing upon a qualitative-based methodology articulated in a case study of the Men in Dialogue association, located in Spain, the study has followed the premises of the communicative approach, a total of 15 structured online open-ended questionnaires have been performed and analyzed. The median age of the participants is 37.5 years. Results: The findings show how men involved in Men in Dialogue are promoting a kind of masculine friendship that is improving men’s emotional well-being and, consequently, their physical health.

Download Full-text