The impact of coping and resilience on anxiety among older Australians

Occupational stress is known for its negative outcomes on employee wellbeing, particularly various mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, the costs of occupational stress are increasing, with recent estimates to be approximately US$187 billion across the developed world, mainly due to productivity loss, healthcare, and medical costs. Despite this trend, research has found that not all stress is harmful; in fact, some stress leads to beneficial outcomes, including positive affect and work engagement. While the challenge-hindrance framework has been successful in categorising occupational stressors into job challenges and job hindrances in predictions of occupational wellbeing, it has been criticised for ignoring employee challenge and hindrance appraisals, as well as threat demands and appraisals as hypothesised by Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) transactional model of stress and coping. In addition, examinations of challenge, hindrance, and threat appraisals have rarely been integrated with future-oriented coping theory to help distinguish between proactive and preventive coping behaviours. Finally, trait resilience has gained much empirical attention to understand how trait resilience can influence the relationships between primary appraisals and work-related emotional outcomes over time. As such, this thesis addresses four key aims. The first aim is to provide evidence of the proposed three-factor challenge-hindrance-threat appraisal and demand framework. The second aim is to distinguish between two future-oriented coping behaviours: proactive and preventive coping, through their relationships with challenge, hindrance, and threat appraisal. The third aim is to integrate the transactional model with conservation of resources theory to provide support for the challenge appraisal-positive affect, hindrance appraisal-anger, and threat appraisal-anxiety relationships and how they are moderated by employee trait resilience. The final aim of this thesis is to provide further evidence of the feasibility of daily diary designs in stress research, by investigating both the daily and person-level relationships between job demands, appraisals, coping, and wellbeing. As this is a thesis by publication, three papers (studies) comprise this program of research. Study One aimed to validate the challenge-hindrance-threat framework and to test the direct and indirect effects of proactive and preventive coping on daily appraisals. The study utilised a student sample (N = 89) who completed a series of five daily diaries (N = 396 observations) focused on a common future stressor, which was a course assessment. Multilevel confirmatory factor analyses supported the three-factor challenge-hindrance-threat appraisal model and the dichotomous proactive/preventive coping model. Furthermore, a distinction between proactive and preventive coping was found as proactive coping moderated the relationships between days and challenge appraisal, and days and hindrance appraisal: as the stressor approached, challenge appraisal increased, and hindrance appraisal decreased when proactive coping was high. When preventive coping was high, both daily hindrance and threat appraisal decreased. Overall, the study supported the distinction between hindrance and threat appraisal and the proposed challenge appraisal-proactive coping and threat appraisal-preventive coping relationships. Study Two extended the findings of Study One to test a comprehensive model of the stress and coping process. Data were collected via daily diaries consisting of daily job demands, appraisals, proactive and preventive coping, as well as work engagement and work-related anxiety over five consecutive workdays, resulting in a total sample of 318 employees (N = 1,505 observations). While the beneficial effects of challenge appraisal and proactive coping in increasing work engagement and reducing work-related anxiety occurred, similar effects occurred between hindrance and threat appraisal. Red tape and conflicting demands were appraised as both hindering and threatening, and no indirect effects of hindrance and threat appraisal and preventive coping between job demands and outcome variables occurred, indicating a dominance of proactive coping over preventive coping in the stress process. Despite the mixed findings of this study, the results still provide insight into the complexity of the occupational stress and coping process and provides indications of the benefits of challenge appraisal and proactive coping in sustaining occupational wellbeing. Study Three combined the transactional model of stress (i.e., appraisals and emotion) with conservation of resources theory (i.e., trait resilience) to assess the various appraisal-emotion relationships hypothesised by the transactional model and how they are moderated by employee trait resilience. Utilising the same method and employee sample from Study Two (N = 318; N = 1, 502 observations), the findings supported the distinction of challenge, hindrance, and threat appraisal in predicting various work-related emotional outcomes. Challenge appraisal positively predicted work-related positive affect, hindrance appraisal positively predicted work-related anger, and threat appraisal positively predicted work-related anxiety, providing support for the distinction between hindrance and threat appraisal and emotional outcomes. While trait resilience increased work-related positive affect and reduced work-related anger and anxiety, the moderating effects of trait resilience on the appraisal-emotion relationships were mixed. Trait resilience only reduced the positive relationship between hindrance appraisal and anger when trait resilience was high, indicating other personal resources may influence the various appraisal-emotion relationships. However, this study provides support of the integration of the transactional model of stress and coping with conservation of resources theory, as well as the role of trait resilience in predicting emotional work-related wellbeing. Overall, the findings of this research make several important contributions to the occupational stress and coping literature. First, factor analyses in both samples provided support for the proposed three-factor challenge-hindrance-threat appraisal framework and the dichotomous proactive and preventive coping factor structure. Furthermore, this research highlights the proposed multi-dimensionality of the occupational stress and coping process through the challenge-hindrance-threat framework and future-oriented coping theory, particularly the influence of primary appraisal and future-oriented coping between job demands and occupational wellbeing outcomes. Finally, this research highlighted the feasibility of combining resource-based theories with the transactional model to better understand the various appraisal-emotion relationships over time. These findings can assist in the development of occupational interventions targeted at the employee or occupation-level, particularly minimising employees’ perceived hindrance and threat demands or by improving proactive coping behaviours to enhance occupational wellbeing.

The large-scale and intense combat actions that began in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, have necessitated an increasing mobilization of the civilian population for conscription into military service. Mobilized servicemen faced challenges in adapting to military service and the realities of intense combat. However, mobilization for military service also complicated the well-being of their families. The study aimed to determine the role of proactive coping in post-traumatic growth (PTG) among mobilized military personnel with various marital statuses after participating in combat operations. The Armed Forces of Ukraine mobilized military personnel (N = 237 males, aged 20-59 years) participated in this study after engaging in combat operations. The study participants were divided into two groups depending on their marital status: the married group and the unmarried group. The "Proactive Coping Questionnaire" and "Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory" were used to investigate the relationship between proactive coping and PTG among mobilized military personnel. Correlation and hierarchical linear regression analysis were used to determine the contribution of proactive coping to PTG and the role of marital status among mobilized military personnel. The level of statistical significance in the married group was achieved between the coping strategy "Emotional Support Seeking" and the PTG domains "New Possibilities" (r = 0.310, p < 0.001), "Personal strength" (r = 0.325, p < 0.001), and "Post-traumatic Growth Overall Score" (r = 0.287, p < 0.001). The level of statistical significance was achieved in the unmarried group between the coping strategies "Reflective Coping" (r = 0.358, p < 0.001), "Preventive Coping" (r = 0.340, p < 0.001), "Instrumental Support Seeking" (r = 0.423, p < 0.001), and the PTG domain "New Possibilities". The PTG domain "Relating to Others" showed a statistically significant correlation with the coping strategy "Emotional Support Seeking" (r = 0.347, p < 0.001). Such relationships were also found in the "Proactive Coping Overall Score" and the "Posttraumatic Growth Overall Score." Both married and unmarried service members showed similar average scores in terms of proactive coping and PTG after their combat experiences. Among married service members, PTG was linked solely to the coping style of "Seeking Emotional Support." In contrast, unmarried service members exhibited PTG that was influenced by two proactive coping styles: "Reflexive Coping" and "Seeking Emotional Support." Additionally, marital status played a role in moderating the impact of the overall proactive coping score on PTG, but it was a significant predictor only for unmarried service members. This research adds to the existing body of knowledge on personal growth induced by traumatic events and the role of proactive coping in PTG of mobilized military personnel with marital status. The results obtained lay the groundwork for future research that could enhance our understanding of this process among military personnel after combat operations.

Background:Coping style adopted by a person has been identified as an important factor in precipitating or preventing an intentional self-harm attempt. While the influence of reactive coping has received lot of research attention, effects of proactive coping on suicidal behavior has not been studied, even though it is known that proactive coping is associated with better mental health. The authors in the current study sought to investigate the relationship of proactive coping style with attempted deliberate self-harm.Materials and Methods:A total of 44 individuals who presented with intentional self-harm were compared with age, sex, marital status, and education-matched healthy controls. Pierce Suicide Intent Scale was used to ascertain suicidal intent, and Proactive Coping Inventory was used to assess proactive coping.Results:There were no significant differences between subjects and controls for proactive coping, preventive coping, emotional support seeking, avoidance coping, and instrumental support seeking. However, participants scored higher in strategic planning (P = 0.027).Conclusions:Proactive coping has no significant relationship with intentional self-harm; however, more studies with better designs are needed to comment conclusively.

This article presents the Proactive and Preventive Coping with Bad Weather in Outdoor Sports Scale, a tool for diagnosing future oriented coping with bad weather in outdoor sports. A study of the psychometric properties of the Proactive and Preventive Coping with Bad Weather in Outdoor Sports Scale was conducted, with an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis being carried out. The first set of data (N = 326) was analysed by exploratory factor analysis, and the second set of data (N = 183) was analysed by confirmatory factor analysis. The results of factor analyses verified the two-factor structure. The Proactive and Preventive Coping with Bad Weather in Outdoor Sports Scale showed satisfactory internal consistency. The coefficient alpha reliabilities were 0.81 for the Preventive scale, and 0.80 for the Proactive scale. The divergent and convergent validity of the Preventive and Proactive Coping in Outdoor Sports Scale was indicated by correlations with scales of coping, general self-efficacy, sensation seeking and the personality NEO-FFI. The results indicate that the Proactive and Preventive Coping with Bad Weather in Outdoor Sports Scale is a valid and reliable instrument.

Proactive coping and preventive coping: Evidence for two distinct constructs?

Procrastination, Stress and Coping among Primary School Teachers

To investigate the interaction effect of psychological place attachment and proactive coping on psychological distress and mental well-being in sojourners. The cross-sectional study was conducted from July 12, 2019 to July 12, 2020 at University of Sargodha, Pakistan and comprised academic sojourners who stay in a place for a limited period of time. Data was collected using four self-reporting tools: Psychological Place Attachment Scale, Proactive Coping Inventory, Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale and Kasler Psychological Distress Scale. Data was analysed using SPSS 24. Of the 300 subjects, 181(60.3%) were females; 164(54.7%) were from Punjab; and 261(87%) were aged 17-22 years. Proactive coping, preventive coping and reflective coping significantly moderated the relationship between affective and psychological distress (p<0.05). Proactive coping and reflective coping significantly moderated the relationship between affective bonding and mental well-being (p<0.05). Proactive coping, preventive coping and avoidance coping significantly moderated the relationship between home meaning and psychological distress (p<0.05). Proactive coping moderated the relationship between home meaning and psychological distress. Proactive coping and reflective coping moderated the relationship between place identity and psychological distress (p<0.05). Proactive coping moderated the relationship between place identity and mental well-being (p<0.05). Instrumental support-seeking moderated the relationship between place dependence and psychological distress (p<0.05). Preventive coping and reflective coping moderated the relationship between psychological place attachment and psychological distress (p<0.05). Reflective coping, strategic planning and preventive coping significantly moderated the relationship between psychological place attachment and mental well-being (p<0.05). Positive coping strategies were effective in re-educating the negative impacts of place attachment on well-being and buffering against psychological distress.

Future-oriented coping: Dispositional influence and relevance for adolescent subjective wellbeing, depression, and anxiety

The current study compared the relative importance of proactive coping and preventive coping in the adjustment to university life among 403 freshmen at a Chinese university and evaluated the function of proactive coping in the stress process. Participants completed the Future-Oriented Coping Inventory (Gan, Yang, Zhou, & Zhang, 2007), the Student-Life Stress Inventory (Gadzella, 1994), and the College Maladjustment Scale (Kleinmuntz, 1960). Bolger and Zuckerman’s (1995) differential exposure model of personality was borrowed to examine whether the students were exposed to different levels of current stress and to explore the impact of stress on maladjustment. The results suggest that stress has a mediating effect between proactive coping and maladjustment but not between preventive coping and maladjustment. The results also suggest that only proactive coping plays an important role in university adjustment, and proactive coping is a dispositional trait rather than a coping strategy.

Stress, Proactive Coping and Self- Efficacy of Teachers

The article presents the results of a theoretical analysis and empirical study of the relationship between proactive coping strategies with psychological well-being and life satisfaction. The object of the study is proactive coping among students. The subject of the study is psychological well–being, life satisfaction as predictors of proactive coping. Currently, it is noted that proactive coping makes a significant contribution to the formation of psychological health. Among the distinctive characteristics of proactive coping strategies is the assessment of future stressors, that is, the process of preadaptation. It is proactive coping that leads a person to development more than strategies to avoid failure. Accordingly, the study of the links between psychological well-being, life satisfaction and the coping process allows us to expand our understanding of the most effective coping strategies, which include proactive coping. The research method is a theoretical analysis of domestic and foreign sources, as well as empirical psychodiagnostics of 144 respondents in the age period of early and middle adulthood. According to the results of the correlation analysis, statistically significant correlations between the formation of proactive coping strategies, psychological well-being and life satisfaction are demonstrated and described. The scientific novelty lies in the identification of predictors of proactive coping behavior, in this regard, it seems relevant to search for significant relationships. It is revealed that psychological well-being, life satisfaction as personal characteristics can be considered in the perspective of further research as factors of the severity of the formation of proactive and preventive coping, abilities to meet needs and achieve goals, self-realization, having goals in life, positive self-acceptance and adequate self-esteem demonstrate a great formation of proactive coping strategies. The new data obtained may be relevant in the development of psychological support aimed at the development of proactive coping strategies among adults.

Pilots' mental health is an issue of crucial importance that may endanger flight safety. As such, it is of profound significance to address the question of what characteristics are protective of mental health among pilots. The present study aimed to explore the indirect effects of emotional intelligence (EI) on depression and anxiety via proactive coping, and examine the moderating role of previous flight experience (PFE) in the conditional indirect effect of EI on depression through proactive coping. A cross-sectional regression design was used to measure EI (Trait Meta Mood Scale), proactive coping (Proactive Coping Scale), depression (The PHQ-9), and anxiety (The GAD-7) among 319 Chinese civil pilots from China Southern Airlines. Mediation and moderated mediation effects were explored using regression analyses and were confirmed by the bootstrapping approach. Pilots reported relatively low levels of depression (M = 0.39, SD = 0.24) and anxiety (M = 0.22, SD = 0.23). Married pilots had higher levels of depression (t = 2.46) and anxiety (t = 3.07) than single pilots. Proactive coping mediated the association between EI and depression (B = -0.25), as well as the relationship between EI and anxiety (B = -0.23). Moreover, conditional process analysis showed that PFE moderated the indirect effect of EI on depression through proactive coping (b3 = 0.005), in which simple slope analysis showed a stronger mediating effect for pilots with more PFE (simple slope = -0.14). The results showed that EI and proactive coping had protective potential in the prevention of depression and anxiety. Implications for the promotion of mental health and diminishing depression and anxiety among pilots are discussed.Guo Y, Ji M, You X, Huang J. Protective effects of emotional intelligence and proactive coping on civil pilots' mental health. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2017; 88(9):858-865.

It is essential to understand how teachers cope with stress and how this affects their well-being as teachers work in very demanding environments. The study employed the transactional model of stress and coping as a theoretical framework to investigate the relationship between the Psychological Capital dimensions (self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism), future-oriented coping (proactive and preventive coping), and work-related well-being (job satisfaction and work engagement). An online survey was completed by 213 secondary school teachers in Germany. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses indicated that optimism and self-efficacy were significant predictors of proactive coping, and hope predicted preventive coping. Optimism, hope, and resilience had a significant impact on job satisfaction. Furthermore, hope, optimism, and proactive coping significantly predicted work engagement. Proactive coping mediated the relationship between teachers’ self-efficacy and work engagement as well as between optimism and work engagement, whereas preventive coping was not a significant mediator. The results imply that developing the Psychological Capital dimensions and proactive coping through interventions can be a valuable avenue to increase teacher well-being.

The relevance of this study is due to the problem of professional training of future dialectologists in the context of distance learning over the past two years. Taking into account the special requirements for the personal qualities of the future dialectologist, the question arises of proactive skills for coping with a difficult situation and a clearly built time perspective in today's situation of uncertainty. The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between the time perspective and proactive coping behavior in future speech pathologists of different areas of training. The results of an empirical study of 80 students studying in the direction of «Special Psychology and «Speech Therapy» aged 18 to 43 years (M = 22.5; SD = 6.394) are presented. The following methods were used in the study: Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI) in adaptation by E.P. Belinskaya et al., R. Schwarzer's scale «Proactive attitudes» (adapted by A.A. Bekhter), Time Perspective Inventory by Philip George Zimbardo in adaptation by A. Sircova et al. An analysis of correlations showed that proactive coping in future dialectologists is positively associated with a positive past and the search for emotional support. In special psychologists, links have been found between negative past and preventive coping, which distinguishes them from future speech therapists, who have found positive links between seeking instrumental support and a positive past. Differences were also established between future special psychologists and speech therapists in terms of the hedonistic present, future and positive past. The results of the study allow us to expand the scientific understanding of the relationship between the time perspective and proactive coping behavior in future speech pathologists.

BackgroundHealthcare staff in China, especially females, work in a high-pressure, high-load, and high-risk environment, which affects the physical and mental health, the efficiency and quality of work, and increases turnover intention. The present study investigated the relationship between perceived stress and turnover intention in female healthcare staff, and the effects of future-oriented coping and work-family balance on this relationship.MethodsFour hundred thirty-five female medical workers were recruited to perform a perceived stress scale, future-oriented coping inventory, work-family balance scale and turnover intention scale. Meanwhile, serial multiple mediation analysis was performed using PROCESS.Results1) Perceived stress positively predicted the level of turnover intention in female healthcare staff; 2) Preventive coping and proactive coping showed mediation effects on the relationship between perceived stress and turnover intention, and preventive coping positively related to proactive coping; 3) The work-family balance also showed mediation effects on the relationship between perceived stress and turnover intention; 4) Preventive coping, proactive coping and work-family balance showed a serial multiple mediation on the relationship between perceived stress and turnover intention in female healthcare workers.ConclusionsPerceived stress affects the level of turnover intention in female healthcare staff through preventive coping, proactive coping, and work-family balance. In addition, the sequential model of future-oriented coping was validated among female healthcare staff.