Factors Affecting the Sense of Coherence (SOC) for Long-term Evacuees after a Large-Scale Disaster in Japan

Disasters has been occurring frequently all over the world, and an increasing number of people have been forced to continue their evacuation life for a long time. In the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in Japan, some people are still unable to return to their homes due to radioactive contamination and are forced to live as evacuees for long periods of time. It is considered a serious public health issue to keep mentality healthy under the stress of living after the disaster. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the factors that affect the sense of coherence (SOC), which is considered as the ability to cope with stress and maintain health, in residents who continue to live as evacuees after a large-scale disaster. The method was a self-administered questionnaire survey of 1,602 long-term evacuees in Japan. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted with the high and low SOC score groups as dependent variables in order to identify factors that predicted high and low SOC. The results showed that the SOC tended to decrease in the elderly and those with deteriorating mental health. On the other hand, those who were active in education and hobbies, and those who socialized with their neighbors and friends tended to have the higher SOC. In order to support residents who have been forced to continue living as evacuees for a long period of time, it is important to provide them with psychological and emotional support to prevent them from being emotionally overwhelmed, as well as living environment improvement and economic support. It was suggested that the promotion of resident-led activities that lead to mental relaxation and the introduction of stress reduction methods that can be easily adopted by residents are effective in maintaining mental health.

Changes in Japanese Junior High School Students' Sense of Coherence Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study of Children and Mothers

We conducted a longitudinal study to clarify the changes in the sense of coherence (SOC); that is, the ability to cope with stress successfully, of 166 Japanese junior high school students and their mothers before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. First, we analyzed changes in SOC at three time points for all students and divided them into two groups: Group 1 included students with SOC scores that increased or maintained before and after the onset of the pandemic and Group 2 included students with decreased SOC scores after the onset of the pandemic. Second, we conducted a comparative analysis between the two groups. Overall, results indicated that student's SOC scores increased. Additionally, interpersonal stress scores were lower after the onset of the pandemic than before. There were almost no differences in family relationships, financial conditions, or personality tendencies between the two groups. However, Group 2 did not regain their sense of belonging to school. In this group, the frequency of stress experiences in club activities after the onset of the pandemic, troubles with the opposite gender, and inability to catch up with the contents of the subject lecture were high. The accumulation of small stressors may have hindered the maintenance of a sense of school affiliation. Mothers of students in Group 2 either were full-time employees at baseline or had started a new job after the onset of the pandemic. Their children may have been affected by the household's damaged financial budget and changes in mother's working styles. As COVID-19 reduced the number of days students went to school, students' SOC could have reduced had they not felt a sense of presence or belonging due to the lack of participation in club activities, school events, etc. Teachers and mothers should communicate carefully with their students and children, respectively, to develop a sense of belonging.

Global Self-Esteem and Stress Intensity in a Group of Polish Nurses—A Mediatory Role of a Sense of Coherence

(1) Owing to their resistance resources, nurses can reduce the effects of stress, increase their commitment to work and improve their functioning in the face of challenges in the workplace. The aim of this study was to determine the mediatory role of a general sense of coherence and a sense of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness correlated with global self-esteem and the perceived stress intensity in a group of Polish nurses aged 45–55 years. (2) The research using the diagnostic survey method was conducted on a group of 176 nurses (M = 49.1; SD = 3.1) working in seven hospitals located in Olsztyn (Poland). The following were used for data collection: Perceived Stress Scale - PSS-10, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale and Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC-29) Questionnaire. (3) According to 21.02% of the nurses, their stress level at the workplace was low, 44.89% reported it was medium and 34.09% reported it was high. The self-esteem of nearly half of the nurses included in the study (48.30%) was at a medium level, 31.82% felt it was high and 19.89% felt it was low. The mediation analysis showed that a general sense of coherence and a sense of comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness have a mediator status in a correlation between global self-esteem and stress intensity. However, their mediatory role is partial. It is desirable for safe work environment promotion programmes to reinforce nurses’ personal resources, which can be helpful in coping with stressors.

Family Sense of Coherence Scale: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis in a Portuguese Sample

Background: Family sense of coherence (FSOC) can be defined as the cognitive map of a family that enables the family to deal with stress during their lifetime. FSOC is the degree to which a family perceives family life as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have used this scale, and very few have evaluated FSOC Scale psychometric properties.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the original FSOC Scale in a sample of Portuguese caregivers of children aged between 10 and 15 years.Methods: A total of 329 caregivers completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the FSOC Scale. Analyses were performed to evaluate the factor structure of the FSOC Scale with 26 items as well as composite reliability, internal consistency, convergent-related validity, and discriminant-related validity of the scale scores.Results: The findings supported a three-factor solution for a 13-item version that maintains the original FSOC Scale structure. The three FSOC dimensions presented a good fit to the data. Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, and convergent-related validity were considered very good for the FSOC Scale (α = 0.956; CR = 0.974; AVE = 0.689). No evidence of discriminant-related validity was found for the dimensions of FSOC.Conclusion: The findings support the use of the Portuguese FSOC Scale for research and clinical purposes with Portuguese caregivers. Future research is necessary to further develop a European Portuguese version of the FSOC Scale.Implications: This study provides a psychometric evaluation of FSOC Scale characteristics in a Portuguese sample. The results are helpful for clinicians and family therapists who work with families since it could help them to assess the resources of families and their ability to cope with adversity and enhance their strengths.

Analysis of the psychometric properties of the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-13) in patients with cardiovascular risk factors: a study of the method effects associated with negatively worded items

Purpose The objectives of this study were to analyze the psychometric properties of the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC-13), determine the role of the method effect in the performance of the instrument, and identify the relationship with health perception, quality of life, and sleep quality in patients at cardiovascular risk. Methods The final sample consisted of 293 patients at cardiovascular risk, with a mean age of 61.9 years (SD = 8.8), 49.8% of whom were women. The SOC-13, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Medical Outcomes Study-Sleep Scale (MOS-Sleep) were administered. In addition, the participant's self-perceived health and quality of life were also evaluated. All analyses were carried out with SPSS 26.0 and EQS 6.1 statistical software. Results The results showed adequate reliability for the SOC-13, with a Cronbach's alpha of .789. The fit of the structures was not adequate in any of the cases (.26 to .62 for one factor, .26 to.73 for three factors, .20 to .54 for one second-order factor, and .25, .42, and .54 for three first-order factors). The three structure models showed an improved fit when adding a latent factor resulting from the method effect (.6 to .85 for one factor, .11 to.90 for three factors, and .11 to .96 for one second-order factor). Moreover, positive correlations were found with health perception, perceived quality of life, and perceived sleep quality. Conclusion The SOC-13 is a suitable instrument for patients with cardiovascular risk in Spain, and it is also an indicator of health perception, quality of life, and perceived quality of sleep. Control of the method effect improves the fit of the instrument’s structure. As a future direction, it is recommended to conduct new studies in this and other samples and using different versions of the SOC. Trial registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number: ISRCTN76069254, 08/04/2015 retrospectively registered.

Burnout, Depression and Sense of Coherence in Nurses during the Pandemic Crisis

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk to nurses’ mental health has increased rapidly. The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of depression and burnout and to evaluate their possible association with the sense of coherence in nursing staff during the pandemic crisis. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory questionnaire, Beck’s Depression Inventory, and the Sense of Coherence questionnaire were completed by 101 male and 559 female nurses. Individual and demographic data were recorded. Regarding depression, 25.5% of respondents exhibited mild depression, 13.5% moderate depression and 7.6% severe depression. In the burnout scale, 47.1% had a pathological value. Female nurses had higher burnout (t test p < 0.01, 49.03 vs. 38.74) and depression (t test p < 0.01, 11.29 vs. 6.93) scores compared to men and lower levels in the sense of coherence (p < 0.05, 59.45 vs. 65.13). Regression evidenced that 43.7% of the variation in the BDI rating was explained by the CBI, while an additional 8.3% was explained by the sense of coherence. Mediation analysis indicated a partial mediation of burnout in the correlation between sense of coherence and depression. The sense of coherence acted as a negative regulator between burnout and depression.

Structural Equation Model for Evaluating Factors Affecting Health-related Quality of Life in Adolescents With Moyamoya Disease: Based on Salutogenesis Theory

BackgroundMoyamoya disease is a cerebrovascular disorder and a significant chronic health concern requiring regular monitoring to control the disease and its related complications.ObjectiveTo develop a structural model based on the salutogenesis theory, and to identify how social support, sense of coherence, and stress contribute to health behaviors, subjective health status, and quality of life in adolescents with moyamoya disease.MethodsWe examined a hypothetical model by integrating the concepts of a structural health-related quality-of-life model based on the salutogenesis theory among 239 adolescents with moyamoya disease in Korea. Data on health-related quality of life of adolescents with moyamoya disease were collected using the following scales: social support rating scale, sense of coherence scale, stress scale, health behavior scale, subjective health status scale, and quality-of-life scale. A structural equation model was used to analyze the data.ResultsThe final model demonstrated goodness-of-fit. A sense of coherence directly influenced quality of life (β = 0.504, p < 0.01) and indirectly influenced quality of life (β = 0.299, p < 0.05) through health behavior. Stress (β = -0.414, p < 0.001) and health behavior (β = -0.085, p < 0.01) directly influenced quality of life. Social support directly influenced health behavior (β = 0.321, p < 0.01) and subjective health status (β = 0.112, p < 0.01).DiscussionSince moyamoya disease, a chronic disease, is progressive, it is very important to identify factors for health promotion.This study found that sense of coherence and social support were significant factors contributing to lower stress, improved health, and quality of life in adolescents with moyamoya disease. This paper is intended to help health experts to develop an intervention strategy based on theory as an approach for chronic disease management.