The COVID-19 outbreak centrality and trauma symptoms in nurses: The mediating role of psychological inflexibility

The unexpected outbreak and rapid spread of COVID-19 necessitated radical and stringent control measures, consequently changing how people live globally. To vulnerable populations like refugees, who were already living a disrupted life, the outbreak of COVID-19 and accompanying control measures complicated their living conditions and drastically affected their mental health and, consequently, their quality of life. The current study aimed to test whether psychological inflexibility was a factor in lowering the quality of life of refugees in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study further examines whether the effects of psychological inflexibility on quality of life were serially mediated by avoidance coping, perceived threat, adherence to COVID-19 control measures, and general mental health states. The study was conducted among refugees living in Kampala city suburbs and Bidibidi refugee settlement in Uganda. Data was collected using a survey questionnaire during the partial reopening of the economy in mid-2020, after the first lockdown. The analysis assesses a serial mediation model of the effects of psychological inflexibility on the quality of life of refugees through avoidance coping, perceived threat, adherence to COVID-19 control measures, and mental health using PROCESS Macro. The study involved 353 participants. Our analyses revealed that psychological inflexibility was negatively associated with the perceived threat, adherence, and quality of life. Psychological inflexibility was positively associated with avoidance coping and poor mental health. The data supported all hypothesized mediation paths. These findings support literature suggesting that psychological inflexibility is a maladaptive attribute that thwarts positive coping and behavior adjustment in times of crisis. Consequently, psychological inflexibility can worsen mental health problems and quality of life, especially in populations such as refugees in low-income countries who live in precarious conditions. Incorporating interventions that reduce psychological inflexibility in crisis management efforts can help refugees maintain good psychological functioning and quality of life.

A prospective examination of the role of psychological (in)flexibility in posttraumatic stress: A cross-lagged panel design

The prescription of opioid medication is a frequent therapeutic approach in chronic noncancer pain, as is misuse of prescribed opioids. There is previous evidence for associations between personal variables such as impulsivity and opioid misuse. Psychological flexibility and inflexibility have also been associated with pain-related outcomes and opioid misuse. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the combined role of a dispositional variable (impulsivity) along with psychological factors (Psychological Flexibility and Inflexibility) in pain outcomes and opioid misuse. The sample comprised 155 people with chronic noncancer pain. A hypothetical model was tested using correlation and structural equation modelling analyses. The results show significant associations between impulsivity and Psychological Flexibility, Psychological Inflexibility and opioid misuse. Psychological Flexibility and Inflexibility were related to pain intensity, interference and opioid misuse. Structural equation modelling showed significant associations between impulsivity, Psychological Inflexibility and pain interference, and opioid misuse. Associations between Psychological Flexibility and pain interference and opioid misuse were nonsignificant. These results support the hypothesis that impulsivity and Psychological Inflexibility are factors that contribute to pain interference and opioid misuse, but do not support the hypothesis that Psychological Flexibility reduces opioid misuse. It is recommended to assess these psychological aspects prior to the prescription of opioid medication, and, if necessary, offering Acceptance and Commitment and Mindfulness Based Therapies could be desirable. The results of this study provide further evidence of the role of trait impulsivity as a transdiagnostic antecedent variable in opioid misuse, both by a direct association and through psychological inflexibility. It can be drawn from these results that psychological transdiagnostic variables, rather than pain outcomes alone, would be key factors influencing opioid misuse. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive psychological assessments prior to the prescription of opioids.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on college students’ mental health. Recent studies have found increased perceived stress and loneliness during the pandemic, which are significant risk factors for depression. However, few researchers have specifically discussed the particular factors that can exacerbate the impact of these risk factors on depression. Psychological inflexibility is said to have an important role in facilitating the development of mental health problems. The current study explored the role of psychological inflexibility in moderating perceived stress and loneliness in depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted to assess college students’ sociodemographic information, perceived stress, loneliness, and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 941 Indonesian college students (age range = 18-39 years old, 74% female) were analyzed using correlation analysis and SPSS macro PROCESS moderation analysis. Several sociodemographic factors such as age, marital status, previous mental health record, education level, perceived impact of COVID-19, income, and financial status were significantly associated with depression and psychological inflexibility, and were thus controlled as covariates. As predicted, higher psychological inflexibility was associated with higher perceived stress, loneliness, and depression. Results showed psychological inflexibility elevated the effect of both perceived stress and loneliness on the depression level. These findings support previous literature regarding the significant role of psychological inflexibility in moderating the development of depression, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the findings, it is recommended that alternative interventions are implemented to inhibit the development of depression by decreasing psychological inflexibility, while considering sociodemographic factors.
 Keywords: OVID-19 pandemic, college student, depression, psychological Inflexibility, perceived stress, loneliness

The aim of this study is to measure the effectiveness of an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based group intervention program on post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms, psychological inflexibility, and self-compassion in intimate partner violence (IPV) survivor university women. The research was conducted at a state university in İstanbul, Türkiye. Participants consisted of 22 IPV survivor university women with 10 in the treatment group and 12 in the waitlist-control group. Participants were assigned to groups based on their preferences. The treatment group participated in a 12-session ACT intervention group, each lasting 120 to 150 min. During this period, no intervention was applied to the waitlist-control group. At the end of the treatment, the intervention group's average PTS symptom scores and psychological inflexibility scores significantly decreased, while their self-compassion scores significantly increased. This effect persisted during the 1-month follow-up period. On the other hand, no changes were observed in the PTS, psychological inflexibility, and self-compassion levels of the control group. When comparing the treatment group with the control group, it was observed that the treatment group had significantly lower levels of PTS and psychological inflexibility and significantly higher levels of self-compassion in both the post-test and follow-up assessments. Consequently, the results revealed the effectiveness of the program on PTS, psychological inflexibility, and self-compassion among a group of IPV survivor university women. Thus, we concluded that ACT may serve as an effective therapy for addressing IPV among university women and that it is culturally applicable to the Turkish context.

A longitudinal assessment of the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and risk factors is indispensable for further prevention and/or treatment. The longitudinal web-based survey enrolled 1,164 college students in China. Measured at two time points (February and August 2020), PTSS, demographic information, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), resilience and self-compassion information were collected to explicate the prevalence and predictors of PTSS concurrently and over time. Results showed that although PTSS generally declined throughout the 6 months after the outbreak of COVID-19, the prevalence remained relatively high. Resilience and self-compassion negatively predicted PTSS concurrently and longitudinally. While subjective family socioeconomic status (SES) and ACEs at Wave 1 did not predict PTSS under COVID-19 at Wave 1, but both significantly predicted PTSS at Wave 2. Findings implicate potential targets for detecting and intervening on symptoms of trauma in this vulnerable population.

Fear of self-compassion and psychological inflexibility interact to predict PTSD symptom severity

The trajectories of anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and the protective role of psychological flexibility: A four-wave longitudinal study

The moderating roles of psychological flexibility and inflexibility on the mental health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in Italy

Séance du 10 Novembre 1962

As a malleable risk-factor, psychological inflexibility is implicated in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS). Unfortunately, limited research has addressed whether changes in psychological inflexibility are antecedent to changes in PTS severity over time, or whether such changes are mutually dependent. Utilizing bivariate latent difference score modeling, this longitudinal study sequenced intraindividual changes in psychological inflexibility and PTS severity within a sample of 305 returning US veterans. Veterans' self-reported psychological inflexibility and PTS severity were assessed quarterly over 1 year. Results indicated that early reductions in psychological inflexibility potentiated later declines in veterans' PTS severity, accounting for veterans' prior levels of psychological inflexibility and PTS severity. These findings underscore the unique role of changes in psychological inflexibility as an important mechanism of change in PTS severity and provide empirical support for an antecedent model of the role of psychological inflexibility in PTS recovery.

Post-traumatic growth in adults following a burn

La peur de l’accouchement chez des nullipares : lien avec la douleur lors de l’accouchement, les symptômes de stress post-traumatique et les symptômes dépressifs post-partum

Solidarity appraisal, meaning, and markers of welfare in frontline workers in the UK and Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic

Objective: Women, racial/ethnic minorities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups experience trauma and PTSD at a rate of up to four times the U.S. national average. The aim of the present study is to assess the association between participation in a mindfulness-based intervention delivered in a community health center and posttraumatic stress symptoms among socioeconomically disadvantaged, Black women with trauma histories. We hypothesized that participants would experience a significant reduction in trauma symptom severity from pre- to post-intervention. Method: Women were recruited from a community health center on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Participants completed self-report measures of trauma symptoms, mindfulness, depression, and stress. Pre/postintervention differences in symptom severity were analyzed with paired sample t tests and independent sample t tests. Results: A total of 36 women with trauma symptom data were assessed. There was a significant reduction of trauma symptom severity from baseline to end of treatment. A minority of participants endorsed slightly higher symptomatology at the end of treatment. Women whose trauma symptom severity increased were less symptomatic overall to begin treatment; they had significantly lower trauma and depressive symptom severity at baseline. Conclusions: Socioeconomically disadvantaged, Black women with moderate to severe trauma symptoms benefited from a mindfulness-based intervention delivered in a community health care setting. While some women with mild trauma symptoms may have become more aware of their symptoms through an intervention designed to increase awareness of thoughts and feelings, most women experienced a decrease in trauma symptom severity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).