Colonial Soldiering and le cafard : Boredom, Morale and Gender Dynamics in the French and Spanish Foreign Legions, 1907–1939

The ageing population in Nigeria, particularly in the region of Ile-Ife, Osun State, faces various challenges related to social support and psychological distress. The study on navigating gender dynamics, social support, and psychological distress in elderly individuals in Ile-Ife, Osun State, aims to examine the relationship between social support, gender dynamics, and psychological distress among the elderly population in a specific Nigerian community. The research delves into the impact of social support systems on the mental well-being of elderly individuals, particularly in the context of changing gender roles and dynamics within society. The sample consisted of 137 elderly persons from Ife Central Local Government using convenience sampling. The results showed that social support had no significant influence on psychological distress. It also revealed that sexual desire had a significant influence on psychological distress. The result further showed that gender had a significant influence on psychological distress. The study concluded that sexual desire and gender influenced psychological distress while social support did not.

The population of Filipino international students in Australia has shown rapid growth over the past years. Previous research has discussed the challenges of international students when moving to their host country, including language barriers, financial issues, living arrangements, and cultural adjustments that may lead to psychological distress when not addressed. International students use different coping mechanisms to cope with these challenges. In line with this, mental health programs are promoted by their host country, however, research proved that international students are unlikely to seek psychological help due to help-seeking barriers. This study investigated the relationship between psychological distress, coping mechanisms, and help-seeking behaviors of Filipino international students in Australia. The study was utilized in a quantitative study through descriptive-correlational and descriptive comparative research design on the data obtained from three hundred eight six (386) respondents, which was selected using a purposive sampling technique. The data are gathered using an online survey questionnaire containing the Informed Consent Form, Personal Data Sheet, Kessler-10 (K-10), Brief COPE Scale, and General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ). Results revealed that Filipino international students in Australia are most likely to have a moderate disorder, and they most likely use problem-focused coping mechanisms. Although psychological distress is evident, Filipino international students did not prefer to seek help in the event of personal problems or suicidal ideation. The relationship between the variables revealed that psychological distress positively correlates with coping mechanisms particularly problem-focused (r = 0.354) and emotion-focused (r = 0.546) coping mechanisms; psychological distress did not show any relationship with the help-seeking behaviors of the subjects (r = 0.059, r = -0.028); and Help-seeking behavior revealed a significant relationship with coping mechanisms (r = 0.211 & r = 0.213, r = 0.192 & r = 0.13, r = 0.118). The results indicated that coping mechanisms were used by Filipino international students when experiencing psychological distress. However, Filipino international students in Australia did not prefer seeking help in times of psychological distress. Moreover, psychological distress and avoidant coping mechanisms were shown to vary on age (p = 0.001, p = 0.039), and the financial capacity of the respondents is an important factor in their help-seeking behavior (p = 0.038, p = 0.5557). Furthermore, the results of the study revealed the importance of KALMA a peer support mental health program to address the ongoing challenges and psychological distress of the respondents.

Psychological distress is common among young and middle-aged lymphoma patients. Psychological resilience and emotion regulation are key factors in coping with cancer, but their interrelationships remain unclear. Clinical psychologists play a crucial role in addressing psychological resilience and distress by providing therapeutic interventions that enhance coping mechanisms and emotion regulation. This study examines the mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation between psychological resilience and psychological distress. A cross-sectional study was conducted among lymphoma patients at Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from January to December 2023. Psychological resilience, distress, and emotion regulation were assessed using standardized scales. SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistics and spearman correlation analysis. PROCESS 4.0 was used to calculate the significance of the mediating effects of the variables. Patients had a psychological resilience score of 5.72 ± 2.31, a difficulties in emotion regulation score of 95.22 ± 8.86, and a psychological distress score of 5.72 ± 2.31. Psychological resilience was negatively correlated with both difficulties in emotion regulation (r = -0.28, P < 0.01) and psychological distress (r = -0.31, P < 0.01), while difficulties in emotion regulation were positively correlated with distress (r = 0.29, P < 0.01). Mediation analysis confirmed that difficulties in emotion regulation fully mediated the link between resilience and distress (effect size = -0.310, 95% CI: -1.195, -0.136). Difficulties in emotion regulation partially mediate the relationship between psychological resilience and distress. Enhancing resilience and improving emotion regulation may help alleviate distress, emphasizing the need for targeted psychological interventions in young and middle-aged lymphoma patients.

Background: Research indicates that LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to experience sexual violence than their heterosexual peers. However, sexual violence experienced by LGBTQ+ young people has not been previously investigated in the UK. Sexual violence is associated with increased shame and psychological distress, whereas compassion may reduce these experiences. Developing understandings of the relationships between shame, compassion, psychological distress and wellbeing could therefore inform clinical practice for this population. Compassionate support from services could also improve LGBTQ+ young people’s wellbeing, but LGBTQ+ communities frequently report poor service experiences. Exploring their perspectives of services could facilitate service improvements. Investigating how LGBTQ+ young people make sense of sexual violence may increase understandings of the social conditions which enable sexual violence against them. This avoids situating them as responsible for sexual violence. Aims: To explore the relationships between shame, compassion, psychological distress and wellbeing for LGBTQ+ young people who have experienced sexual violence and the service related factors which impact on them. To explore how LGBTQ+ young people make sense of sexual violence victimisation and experiences with services. To situate the research in a wider context, engaging with sociocultural influences upon LGBTQ+ young people. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed to quantitatively examine relationships between shame, compassion, psychological distress and wellbeing using validated measures through an online survey (N=36). Participants’ experiences of sexual violence and views of barriers to service use and sexual violence reporting were also investigated through the survey. Seven participants subsequently took part in semi-structured qualitative interviews to discuss sexual violence and the role of services. Results: Self-compassion and shame were significantly associated with psychological wellbeing and distress. Both survey and interview participants highlighted the importance of acceptance and safety in services but reported discriminatory attitudes as a barrier. In the interviews, participants described how stigma and stereotypes enabled the normalisation of sexual violence and victim blaming experiences. Participants’ interview accounts also provided insights about how they live and cope with sexual violence. Conclusions: The findings indicate that shame and compassion constructs may be relevant to LGBTQ+ young people’s lives in the context of sexual violence experiences. Compassion from services could facilitate feelings of connection and safety but services also need to address structural barriers. Participants’ accounts suggest that the normalisation of sexual violence enables victimisation, and that heteronormativity contributes to the marginalisation and invisibility of their experiences. Implications for interventions to address sexual violence experienced by LGBTQ+ young people are explored across individual, service, and wider sociocultural levels.

This study focuses on two groups: evacuees from Israel's southern and northern frontline communities following the October 7th Hamas attack, and individuals from regions not directly threatened. Using network analysis, we identified key associations and central nodes related to stress indicators (i.e., exposure to traumatic life events, physical health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression) as well as personal resources (i.e., self-mastery and meaning in life), and coping strategies. The study included 221 evacuees and 145 non-evacuees (controls), recruited via iPanel, Israel's leading online research panel. Participants completed standardised self-report questionnaires. Evacuees exhibited higher levels of anxiety, depression, and traumatic life events, than did controls. Additionally, evacuees showed higher levels of problem-focused coping and a greater sense of meaning in life, along with lower physical health-related quality of life. Network analysis revealed that both groups had four sub-networks: 'personal state', 'psychological distress', 'resources', and 'coping'. However, the sub-networks' composition varied. Both groups shared similar sub-networks for 'coping' and 'personal state', but differed in 'psychological distress' and 'resources'. For the controls, dysfunctional coping strategies were part of 'psychological distress', whereas for evacuees, they were included in 'resources'. Additionally, meaning in life was more central among the controls, influencing the interaction between coping mechanisms, personal states, and psychological distress. For evacuees, physical health-related quality of life was more closely associated with the absence of negative factors-(i.e., anxiety, depression, traumatic experiences, and lower self-mastery)-rather than the presence of adaptive coping strategies and meaning in life. These differences highlight the vulnerability of evacuees and the central role of personal resources. Targeted interventions that foster resources such as self-mastery and meaning in life are vital for coping with the psychological distress associated with forced displacement.

Forgiveness is the framing of a perceived transgression such that one's responses to the transgressor, transgression, and sequelae of the transgression are transformed from negative to neutral or positive. The source of a transgression, and therefore the object of forgiveness, may be oneself, another person or persons, or a situation that one views as being beyond anyone's control (Thompson et al., 2005) Currently, there is great theoretical interest in the possibility that forgiveness is involved in promoting well-being. Various models suggest that forgiveness can offer opportunities for recognizing a deeper meaning in the transgression, developing compassion for others, appreciating social support systems, and discovering a renewed sense of life purpose (Enright, Freedman, & Rique, 1998). Empirical studies suggest that forgiveness have potential benefits for mental health (Toussaint & Webb, 2005), and well-being (Brown, 2003 ; Karremans, Van Lange, Ouwerkerk, & Kluwer, 2003; Karuse & Ellison, 2003).Psychological well-beingPsychological well-being is usually conceptualized as some combination of positive affective states such as happiness (the hedonic perspective) and functioning with optimal effectiveness in individual and social life (the eudaimonic perspective) (Deci & Ryan, 2008). Psychological well-being is about lives going well. It is the combination of feeling good and functioning effectively (Huppert, 2009). Psychological well-being refers to one's positive intrapersonal, interpersonal, and social functioning that is influenced by his or her perception and meaning given to his or her life situations (Ryff & Singer, 1996). Psychological well-being can be measured as emotional well-being in a hedonistic sense (i.e., experiencing more positive affect than negative affect) and positive psychological functioning in a eudaimonic sense (i.e., living a meaningful life and fulfilling one's potentials).Psychological distressPsychological distress is viewed as an emotional condition that involves negative views of the self, others and the environment and is characterized by unpleasant subjective states such as feeling tense, worried, worthless and irritable (Barlow and Durand, 2005). These subjective states can reduce the emotional resilience of individuals and impact on their ability to enjoy life and to cope with pain, disappointment and sadness. Psychological distress can be viewed as a continuum in which people can move from experiencing wellbeing to distress andback at various times throughout their lives (Horwitz and Scheid, 1999; Mechanic, 1999).A link between forgiveness and mental and physical health has attracted much attention in psychological research (McCullough, 2000; Thoresen, Harris, & Luskin, 2000). In forgiveness research, psychological well-being has often been considered equivalent to global satisfaction of life, minimal psychological distress or absence of psychopathology, or a combination of certain positive cognition and affect. Thus, a possible relationship between forgiveness and psychological well-being in the eudaimonic sense has been overlookedPrior research suggested that trait forgiveness is generally more strongly correlated with some aspects or components of psychological well-being and other mental health variables than state forgiveness (McCullough & Witvliet, 2002).HFS was also foundto positively predict satisfaction with life and negatively predict trait anger, state anxiety, and depression among college students (Thompson et al., 2005).Among the wide variety' of protective factors that have been recognized, acceptance, forgiveness, and gratitude appear to be three personal characteristics that have been found to be closely related to psychological well-being (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002; Nakamura & Orth, 2005).The Human Development Study Group (1991) revealed positive results, indicating that the promotion of forgiveness enhances psychological well-being among individuals coping with a variety of serious offenses. …

Introduction Sexual dysfunction is very distressing to women of reproductive age. Hormonal contraceptives (HC) are often reported to be highly associated with sexual dysfunction. The occurrence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) varies across African regions however, the literature is scanty. This study, therefore aimed to assess the psychological distress (PD) and coping mechanisms of women with sexual dysfunction using hormonal contraceptives at Kawempe Hospital (KH). Objective To determine the prevalence of psychological distress among women with sexual dysfunction using hormonal contraceptives at Kawempe Hospital To examine the factors associated with psychological distress among women with sexual dysfunction using hormonal contraceptives at Kawempe Hospital To evaluate the coping mechanisms of women with sexual dysfunction using hormonal contraceptives at Kawempe Hospital Methods The study was cross-sectional and conducted by a female team at the family planning clinic of KH. Participants were sexually active females aged 18 to 50 years, who had used HCs for at least six months, and had a positive FSD score below 26.55 on the female sexual function index. PD was assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale K-6, with a score over 13 indicating PD. Coping mechanisms were determined using the SexFlex scale. The data was analyzed using proportions, means, chi-squares and logistic regression to determine characteristics associated with PD at a significance level of 0.05. Results Of the 401 individuals screened, 288 who had positive FSD scores were enrolled. The average age of the participants was 28.8 years, and 46.18% used implants for contraception. The prevalence of PD was 55.56%, with 28.47% using reflexive-only coping mechanisms, 24.35% using approach-only mechanisms, 13.19% using both, and 63.19% using neither. Being married (AOR=0.45) and breastfeeding (AOR=0.41) were negatively associated with PD, while using injectables (AOR=7.43), implants (AOR=5.17), levonorgestrel IUD (AOR=4.17), having relationship dissatisfaction (AOR=4.65), and sexual pain (AOR=2.60) were positively associated with PD. Conclusions PD was prevalent among women with FSD using HCs at Kawempe Hospital and associated with modifiable characteristics. It is recommended that health workers regularly screen for PD among women with FSD using HCs and provide education on malleable characteristics, such as breastfeeding and relationship satisfaction. Disclosure No.

Background: Flood disasters, alongside prolonged conflict and socio-economic hardship in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, have heightened the psychological vulnerability of children. This study examined the prevalence of psychological distress and explored the coping mechanisms employed by children affected by flooding in the region. Method: Children aged 7–17 years from flood-affected areas in Maiduguri were included in the study. Psychological distress was measured using the parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-13), and coping mechanisms were assessed using the Kidcope Parent Version. Multivariate and ordinal logistic regression examined factors associated with psychological distress and coping mechanisms. Results: A total of 374 children participated in the study. 63.6% experienced abnormal psychological distress. Moderate and high levels of maladaptive coping were significantly associated with greater odds of psychological distress (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.25 - 2.36; OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.46 - 4.04). Similarly, moderate adaptive coping was associated with higher odds of distress compared to poor coping (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.38 - 2.61). In unadjusted models, age, female gender, higher education, Christian religion, and higher household income were associated with increased psychological distress. However, these were not significant in the adjusted model. Ordinal logistic regression showed no significant predictors of either maladaptive or adaptive coping levels. Conclusion: A high proportion of flood-affected children in Maiduguri experience psychological distress, with maladaptive coping playing a key role. The findings indicate the need for targeted psychosocial interventions to improve adaptive coping skills in flood-affected children.

Background: Flood disasters, alongside prolonged conflict and socioeconomic hardship in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, have heightened the psychological vulnerability of children. This study examined the prevalence of psychological distress and explored the coping mechanisms employed by children affected by flooding in the region. Method: Children aged 7-17 years from flood-affected areas in Maiduguri were included in the study. Psychological distress was measured using the parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-13), and coping mechanisms were assessed using the KidCOPE parent version. Multivariate and ordinal logistic regression examined factors associated with psychological distress and coping mechanisms. Results: A total of 374 children participated in the study. A total of 63.6% experienced abnormal psychological distress. Moderate and high levels of maladaptive coping were significantly associated with greater odds of psychological distress (odds ratio [OR] = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.25-2.36; OR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.46-4.04). Similarly, moderate adaptive coping was associated with higher odds of distress compared to poor coping (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.38-2.61). In unadjusted models, age, female gender, higher education, Christian religion, and higher household income were associated with increased psychological distress. However, these were not significant in the adjusted model. Ordinal logistic regression showed no significant predictors of either maladaptive or adaptive coping levels. Conclusions: A high proportion of flood-affected children in Maiduguri experience psychological distress, with maladaptive coping playing a key role. The findings indicate the need for targeted psychosocial interventions to improve adaptive coping skills in flood-affected children.

Bullying remains a significant issue in university settings, with potentially severe consequences for students' mental health. This study examines the prevalence of bullying and its consequences in terms of psychological distress in the form of anxiety and depression among university students. Using a sample of 200 students from different educational disciplines, the research examines the link between various types of bullying: verbal, physical, relational, and cyberbullying and psychological distress, as recorded by the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (KSDS). Rather, findings suggest that bullying - especially cyberbullying and bullying that involves verbal harassment - is highly correlated with psychological distress levels. Notably, there were gender differences with the female students showing higher levels of distress relating to relational and verbal bullying whereas the male students were more affected by physical bullying. The report highlights the urgent need for universities to adopt comprehensive anti-bullying policies and to have better services for students to cope with the negative effects of bullying. The findings indicated that dealing with both bullying behaviors and their psychological impact can create a more secure and supportive learning environment, especially for students who are most likely to suffer from the psychological effects of bullying

This study investigated whether attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance are significant predictors of coping strategies in relation to memories of coping with partner infidelity. Four hundred and fifteen participants who had the experience of a romantic partner engaging in infidelity completed questionnaires measuring their attachment style and their use of eight cognitive and behavioural coping strategies. Of the total participants, 231 who had completed all of the study’s measures and met the research inclusion criteria were included within the preliminary and main analyses. The data was analysed using a series of separate hierarchical multiple linear regressions. Individuals with high attachment avoidance scores engaged in less seeking social support and confrontive strategies, and in more distancing strategies to cope with partner infidelity. Alternatively, individuals with high attachment anxiety engaged in more accepting responsibility and escape avoidance strategies, and less positive reappraisal strategies to cope with partner infidelity. These findings advocate potential therapeutic interventions for individuals coping with partner infidelity, including helping clients understand the ineffective coping mechanisms that arise from their attachment patterns and supporting them in challenging their cognitions and adopting more effective methods of coping with partner infidelity. Although the study was able to predict the types of coping strategies insecurely attached individuals are likely to use when coping with a partner's infidelity, it did not directly focus on the impact this had on participants’ psychological distress. Future research using mediator analyses could offer interesting information into the complex relationship between attachment, coping, and psychological distress, and shed light on whether specific strategies may increase an individual’s vulnerability of developing mental health difficulties in response to a partner’s infidelity.

The popularity of Avatar: The Last Airbender intrigues me to analyze Aang’s journey, as the main character, in becoming a hero. I aim to analyze the stressors that cause Aang’s psychological distress, his coping mechanisms, and how he develops into a hero. To find out about the three aforementioned points, I use theories on psychological distress and coping mechanisms. My analysis demonstrates that Aang’s psychological distress is caused by three stressors: his fear of accepting his new identity and responsibility, his shame, and his fear of the war and failure. To deal with those stressors, Aang adopts two coping mechanisms: emotion-focused (avoidance, seeking social support for emotional purposes, and acceptance), and problem-focused (seeking social support for instrumental purposes, planning, and problem-solving). By the end of the series, Aang has become a hero by developing into a selfless and benevolent humanitarian who used his intelligence and integrity to win the war.Keywords: psychological distress, stressors, coping mechanism, hero

BackgroundMental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have not been felt equally within populations. Parents with children living at home were early on identified as a population at heightened mental health risk, with concerns about the potential long-term impacts of the pandemic on parents’ mental health, family functioning, and children’s well-being. This study investigates impacts of the pandemic on parents’ psychological distress, contextual sources of distress, and associations with family functioning nearly two years into the pandemic.Methods and findingsData were drawn from a national cross-sectional survey of adults living in Canada in November and December 2021 that was representative by age, gender, household income, and region. Parents with children < 18 years old living at home (N = 553) reported their experiences of psychological distress, pandemic-related stressors, coping mechanisms, and family functioning (changes in parent-child interactions, children’s anxiety). Chi-square tests, logistic regression, and linear regression analyses examined sociodemographic inequities in parents’ levels of psychological distress, sources and mitigating mechanisms of distress, and associations between psychological distress and family functioning. Nearly two years into the pandemic, parents with children at home reported nearly double pre-pandemic population estimates of moderate to severe psychological distress. Psychological distress was more frequently reported among parents with pre-existing mental health conditions, disabilities, and financial stressors. Parents with greater psychological distress reported increases in negative parent–child interactions due to the pandemic and higher anxiety among their children.ConclusionsThis study identifies sustained negative impacts of the pandemic on parents’ mental health and family functioning in Canada nearly two years into the pandemic, despite high vaccine uptake and declining infection rates. Disparities in financial stress, social support structures, and pre-existing mental health were identified as underlying sources of psychological distress. These results highlight that meaningful responses to promote mental health among parents and families must address social and structural inequities.

BackgroundEthiopian migrants to the Middle East and South Africa are exposed to dangerous traveling and working conditions and their experiences are mostly tragic. They are unwelcomed not only by the situation in the destination but also by the community at home which is an important indicator of stigma and discrimination. However, there is lack of evidence on how psychological distress is associated with migration experiences, stigma and coping strategies. Therefore, it was aimed to determine the mediating effect of psychological distress in the association between migration experiences and stigma and discrimination and coping strategies.MethodsA total of 739 Ethiopian migrant returnees from the Middle East and South Africa were included in the study. A cross-sectional study was conducted in five migration hotspot areas in Ethiopia, namely Addis Ababa, Dessie, Shashemene, Hossana, and Gondar. Data related to socio-demographic, economic, migration experiences, psychological distress, coping strategies, and stigma and discrimination were collected. Psychological distress was measured using the 21- item version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale and coping strategies were measured with the Brief-COPE. Structural equation modeling was employed to estimate the relationship among variables.ResultsAbout 395 (57.33%) of the participants reported symptoms of depression, 428 (59.86%) anxiety symptoms, and 313 (45.21%) stress symptoms. The mediated association between physical violence and coping strategy through psychological distress was 0.29 (adjusted β = 0.29, 95%CI: 0.15, 0.44). Denial of salary had positive direct (adjusted β = 1.00, 95%CI: 0.50, 1.50) and mediated (adjusted β = 1.20, 95%CI: 0.71, 1.68) associations with stigma and discrimination through psychological distress. Restricted freedom had positive mediated (adjusted β = 0.39, 95%CI: 0.13, 0.65) and total (adjusted β = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.59, 1.29) associations with stigma and discrimination through psychological distress.ConclusionDepression, anxiety, and stress symptoms are common among migrant returnees. Religious practice is the most commonly used coping mechanism. Psychological distress has positive mediating association with the relationships between denial of salary by employers and stigma and discrimination, physical violence and coping strategy, and restricted freedom and stigma and discrimination. Psychological interventions to deal with the psychological distress and stigma and discrimination of migrant returnees and to encourage the practice of positive coping strategies are warranted.

Psychological distress may hinder recovery following surgery. Studies examining the relationship between psychological distress and religiosity in the acute post-operative setting are lacking. The present study investigated this relationship, evaluated protocol design, and explored coping mechanisms. Psychological distress of surgical inpatients was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL). Religiosity was assessed using the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire. Correlations were obtained using Minitab software. Qualitative analysis identified coping mechanisms. Of eligible inpatients, 13/54 were recruited. No significant correlation was found between religiosity and psychological distress. The RSCL had a strong correlation with HADS (R=0.82, p=0.001). Assessment of distress was >2min faster using RSCL compared to HADS. Relationships with pets, friends or family, and God emerged as the most common coping mechanism. Given study limitations, no conclusion was drawn regarding the relationship between religiosity and psychological distress. Weaknesses in study protocol were identified, and recommendations were outlined to facilitate the definitive study. This includes use of RSCL instead of HADS. Further study is warranted to explore how to strengthen relationships for inpatients.