Application Of Coping Strategies Research Articles

Assessment of the impact of COVID-19 and political instability on mental health of university students in Sudan.

The mental health of students plays a crucial role in their learning and performance. The COVID-19 pandemic, the political turmoil and a coup in Sudan has exacerbated stress and anxiety among university students in Sudan due to uncertainty about their academic activities. To assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurrence and coping strategies adopted by university students in Sudan. This cross-sectional survey was conducted from March to June 2022. It used the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) questionnaires to assess the occurrence of PTSD and coping strategies among 596 university students in Sudan. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the frequency and percentage, Student's t test was used to compare the means of 2 groups and one-way analysis of variance to compare the means of ≥ 3 groups. There was a high prevalence of PTSD among the students, with a score of 31.2 (SD 16.4). The total score of PTSD was higher among female students. Around 36% of the students had a PTSD score > 37, which is considered high enough to suppress immune function. The most widely adopted coping strategies were religion and acceptance of the situation, while substance use was the least. Students who had COVID-19 infection during the pandemic differed significantly from uninfected students in the application of coping strategies. In contrast, students whose family members or friends had COVID-19 were not significantly different from students with uninfected family members or friends in the application of the coping strategies, such as self-blame, denial, substance use, and behavioural disengagement. We recommend the initiation and implementation of psychological counselling programmes for university students in Sudan onsite or remotely. Further research should be carried out to assess the long-term effects of the pandemic and the political conflicts so as to design and implement appropriate and efficient interventions.

‘It breaks my heart’: Healthcare practitioners’ caring for families with epidermolysis bullosa

Background: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a painful genodermatosis presenting with skin fragility and blisters. There is no cure; the prognosis is guarded and depends on the subtype of the disease. Managing these patients can be emotionally challenging for healthcare practitioners.Aim: To determine the perceptions, impact, and needs of healthcare practitioners (HCP) caring for patients and their families with EB.Setting: Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, Durban and Grey’s Hospital, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.Methods: The study was guided by interpretative phenomenological analysis. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 healthcare practitioners. Guba’s trustworthiness framework was used to ensure rigour.Results: Six global themes were identified, each related primarily to the perceptions, impact, and needs of healthcare practitioners. The experiences and perceptions of healthcare practitioners were that caring for patients with an incurable disease such as EB could negatively impact healthcare practitioners. There were divergent views among the disciplines of HCPs regarding the extent of care in a resource-limited environment. This resulted in negative emotions, ethical concerns, and a need for continued medical education and the application of coping strategies. Healthcare practitioners observed that patients and their families were vulnerable, requiring comprehensive biopsychosocial care.Conclusion: Healthcare practitioners should be aware of their emotional challenges, seek support where necessary, and use effective coping strategies and self-care.Contribution: The concerns and needs of healthcare practitioners are highlighted and interventional strategies to assist healthcare practitioners are suggested which will ultimately improve patient care.

Older adults' coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic - a longitudinal mixed-methods study.

Older age is a main risk factor for severe COVID-19. In 2020, a broad political debate was initiated as to what extent older adults need special protection and isolation to minimize their risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, isolation might also have indirect negative psychological (e.g., loneliness, stress, fear, anxiety, depression) or physical (e.g., lack of exercise, missing medical visits) consequences depending on individual strategies and personality traits to cope longitudinally with this crisis. To examine the impact of individuals' coping with the pandemic on mental health, a large sample of 880 older adults of the prospective longitudinal cohort TREND study were surveyed six times about their individual coping strategies in the COVID-19 pandemic between May 2020 (05/2020: Mage = 72.1, SDage = 6.4, Range: 58-91 years) and November 2022 in an open response format. The relevant survey question was: "What was helpful for you to get through the last months despite the COVID-19 pandemic? E.g., phone calls, going for a walk, or others." In total, we obtained 4,561 records containing 20,578 text passages that were coded and assigned to 427 distinct categories on seven levels based on qualitative content analysis using MAXQDA. The results allow new insights into the impact of personal prerequisites (e.g., value beliefs, living conditions), the general evaluation of the pandemic (e.g., positive, irrelevant, stressful) as well as the applied coping strategies (e.g., cognitive, emotional- or problem-focused) to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic by using an adapted Lazarus stress model. Throughout the pandemic emotional-focused as well as problem-focused strategies were the main coping strategies, whereas general beliefs, general living conditions and the evaluation were mentioned less frequently.

Lessons learned during the health crisis caused by COVID-19 in the work of the nursing professional: A systematic review

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 impacted the dynamics of the work of health professionals, specifically in nursing professionals who were aware of the essential need for care and a safe environment to reduce in-hospital risks and mortality indicators. The study aimed to analyze the scientific evidence on the lessons learned during the health crisis in the work of the nursing professional, and the analysis of scientific articles published between 2020 and 2023 in the Scopus databases, obtaining a total of 30 articles. The findings show that there is a need to adopt health contingency policies to respond to health crises, as well as to establish and apply coping strategies in health professionals to avoid the impact on their mental health. Additionally, it is important to recognize their role in society. In conclusion, contingency policies and coping strategies must be developed to ensure the safety and well-being of nursing professionals and prevent the impact on their mental health during health crises like the one caused by COVID-19. Furthermore, it is important to recognize and value the fundamental role of nursing professionals in disease prevention and care in society and continue to work on developing policies and support strategies for health professionals to ensure their safety and well-being during health crises.

Generation Z’s adoption of IoT: protection motivation theory as the underlying model and gender as a moderator

PurposeThe factors that motivate Generation Z individuals to use the Internet of Things for security purposes have yet to be explored. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to close a research gap by verifying the protection motivation theory using gender as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a purposive sampling approach to collect data from Dhaka city, in which 370 valid responses were selected. Additionally, the quantitative and cross-sectional survey used a seven-point Likert scale. Afterward, the evaluation approach included three phases: a measurement model, a structural model and multi-group analysis.FindingsVulnerability, self-efficacy and response-efficacy were discovered to be critical predictors with a variance of 60.4%. Moreover, there was a significant disparity between males and females in two relationships, response efficacy and intention as well as response cost and intention.Practical implicationsThis research expands our understanding of Generation Z consumers' behavioral intentions to take measures against household threats, allowing preventative programs to be improved. Further, in the case of applying coping strategies, a practical difference between males and females has been found that must be bridged through awareness campaigns.Originality/valueThis study has made a unique contribution to the information system literature. First, the role of protection motivation theory factors in addressing security concerns in homes has been assessed. Second, the coping evaluation process has a greater impact on users' intentions than the threat appraisal process. However, males and females use slightly different approaches to defending themselves against the threat.

Perception of Humanised Care in Hospitalised Patients in a Public Institution in Post-Pandemic Lima, Peru

Objective: To determine the level of perception of hospitalised patients in a public institution in post-pandemic, Lima-Peru. Methodology: Quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional, non-experimental design.280 patients from the medical service. An instrument with characteristics of humanised nursing care was used, which was subjected to validation and reliability. Results: It is evident that the majority of patients perceive humanised care as favourable to moderately favourable. The dimensions that stand out according to their importance are prioritising the cared-for person, nurse characteristics, proactivity and emotional support. It is concluded that humanised care in post-pandemic is key to sustain the work of caring, where the patient in a condition of vulnerability and exhaustion as a result of the disease, needs care with high professional competencies, soft skills and a safe environment, to ensure strengthening the users' perception of the quality of the health services provided. It is evident that nurses have the capacity for resilience in adverse environments; however, training and coaching are essential for them to be able to apply coping strategies and avoid emotional exhaustion in their work.
 
 Received: 11 October 2022 / Accepted: 17 February 2023 / Published: 5 March 2023

Mental health and the pastor’s wife: how does the pastor’s wife manage life stressors and apply coping strategies to support her emotional well-being?

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore how eight pastors’ wives of the Pentecostal denomination in the UK, manage stressful situations and apply coping strategies to support their emotional well-being. A qualitative interpretative phenomenological approach was adopted to provide a comprehensive analysis of their personal lived experience. The study identified and explored four main themes: expectations perceived as burdensome, lack of support, relocation and impact on family and coping strategies applied for the support of well-being. The research found that coping strategies employed by participants may not be as useful and effective to cope with the demands of pastoral care, ministry, and stressful situations encountered. As this is an understudied area further research is required to unmask how female leaders in faith-based communities can be supported with their mental health and represented in research.

Fuel scarcity or household wealth? Assessing the drivers of cooking energy consumption patterns in rural areas in East Africa

ABSTRACT Rural households in Tanzania and Mozambique depend mainly on charcoal, firewood and other traditional fuels, such as cow dung or agriculture by-products, to cook. Simultaneously, fuel scarcity is an important phenomenon that leads households to apply coping strategies such as reducing the number of meals or increasing walking distance to collect firewood. Despite the well-known negative health, economic and potential ecologic impacts, the transition away from solid biomass energy sources is not expected in the short run. Thus, understanding the patterns of biomass energy consumption is essential to allow sustainable development in the household cooking sector. In this study, we evaluated the influence of wealth status and fuelwood scarcity on household energy choices in four villages with case study sites in Mozambique and Tanzania. The fuel usage patterns are consistent with the ‘energy stacking’ model as, despite an increase in the consumption of charcoal, firewood remains the principal cooking fuel. Wealth does not necessarily result in a transition toward cleaner fuels, nor does scarcity result in the use of other forms of traditional bioenergy. We suggest the promotion of fuel reduction strategies such as improved cookstoves or the implementation of on-farm trees to reduce the pressure on forests.

Experienced stigma and applied coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: a mixed-methods study

ObjectiveHealth-related stigma is considered a social determinant of health equity and a hidden burden of disease. This study aimed to assess the level and dimensions of stigma and respective coping...

The Link Between Conscription Experience and Conscripts’ Attitude Toward National Military Service at the End of Training: An Example from Estonia

The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between the experience of conscripts in their training period and their subsequent attitude toward national military service immediately after training. Self-report questionnaire is used to measure the experiences of Estonian conscripts ( n = 518) in three categories: perceived stress, applied coping strategies, and evaluation of training as important. Attitude toward national military service is measured as a critical versus neutral/positive answer to an open-ended question. We found that a perceived reduction in general quality of life, concerns about what is happening at home, and experiencing/expressing negative emotions were associated with a critical attitude. In contrast, taking a proactive outlook toward training and finding military-specific aspects personally important were associated with a more neutral/positive attitude. Our findings emphasize the importance of improving the conscription training experience in order to foster less critical attitudes toward service and are discussed from a person-environment perspective.

Perceived effects of COVID-19 restrictions on smallholder farmers: Evidence from seven lower- and middle-income countries

CONTEXTThe COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented global disruption and continues to wreak havoc. Dire predictions were made about the risks to smallholder farmers in lower- and middle- income, but hard data have been lacking. We present the results from 9201 interviews with smallholder farmers from seven countries. OBJECTIVEThe objectives are to describe: i) how farmers perceive the key effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and containment measures on livelihoods and food security; ii) the effects on agricultural activities; iii) the coping strategies households deployed. METHODSHousehold surveys were conducted as part of ongoing monitoring programs during the latter half of 2020. Sites in seven countries were covered: Burundi; Kenya; Rwanda; Tanzania; Uganda; Zambia; and Vietnam. Findings are representative of smallholder farmers across multiple districts per country. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe effects of the COVID-19 containment measures were widespread and often perceived to be severe. Food purchase, off-farm income, sale of farm produce, and access to crop inputs were all affected. In locations under more stringent restrictions during the time of the survey, up to 80% of households had to reduce food consumption and/or variety. Almost all households with off-farm incomes reported reductions, by half on average. A half to three-quarters of households (depending on the location) with income from farm sales reported losses compared to the pre-pandemic situation. In locations with more relaxed containment measures in place during the time of the survey, less frequent and less severe economic and food security outcomes were perceived by the respondent, with around 20% of households reporting negative outcomes. Mobility restrictions, reduced market access, crashes in sale price for agricultural goods, and soaring prices for food purchase were key factors. Sale prices generally dropped for all agricultural products in any given location, and affected not only high-value perishable products, but also staple crops such as maize and cassava. Depending on the location, between 30% and 90% of the households applied coping strategies in response to the pandemic during 2020. There was an almost complete absence of official aid amongst households interviewed. SIGNIFICANCEOur results raise the thorny issue of how best to balance containment of disease against the wellbeing of the vulnerable rural population in lower- and middle-income countries. There is a risk that the buffering capacity of rural people will become exhausted. Possible policy measures to limit negative outcomes include i) tiered mobility restrictions with travel allowed for economic reasons; ii) short-term price guarantee schemes to stabilise the food system; iii) direct aid; iv) the timely re-installation of distribution channels for agricultural inputs.

Toward Designs of Workplace Stress Management Mobile Apps for Frontline Health Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond: Mixed Methods Qualitative Study.

BackgroundIn recent years, mobile apps have been developed to prevent burnout, promote anxiety management, and provide health education to workers in various workplace settings. However, there remains a paucity of such apps for frontline health workers (FHWs), even though FHWs are the most susceptible to stress due to the nature of their jobs.ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to provide suggestions for designing stress management apps to address workplace stressors of FHWs based on the understanding of their needs from FHWs’ own perspectives and theories of stress.MethodsA mixed methods qualitative study was conducted. Using a variety of search strings, we first collected 41 relevant web-based news articles published between December 2019 and May 2020 through the Google search engine. We then conducted a cross-sectional survey with 20 FHWs. Two researchers independently conducted qualitative analysis of all the collected data using a deductive followed by an inductive approach.ResultsPrevailing uncertainty and fear of contracting the infection was causing stress among FHWs. Moral injury associated with seeing patients die from lack of care and lack of experience in handling various circumstances were other sources of stress. FHWs mentioned 4 coping strategies. Quick coping strategies such as walking away from stressful situations, entertainment, and exercise were the most common ways to mitigate the impact of stress at work. Peer support and counseling services were other popular methods. Building resilience and driving oneself forward using internal motivation were also meaningful ways of overcoming stressful situations. Time constraints and limited management support prevented FHWs from engaging in stress management activities.ConclusionsOur study identified stressors, coping strategies, and challenges with applying coping strategies that can guide the design of stress management apps for FHWs. Given that the pandemic is ongoing and health care crises continue, FHWs remain a vulnerable population in need of attention.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ МОДЕЛИ УСТОЙЧИВОГО РАЗВИТИЯ В ПЕРИОД ГЛОБАЛЬНЫХ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИЙ

The article discusses the impact of the pandemic on the strategic plans of Russian companies and the analysis of mechanisms for adjusting the company’s strategic plans in a pandemic to ensure their sustainable development. At the stage of a crisis, enterprises and managers can take measures to establish schemes for preventing or containing the consequences of a crisis or disaster (epidemics, terrorist attacks, economic crises). Firms are generally unable to stop a crisis, but can identify a crisis in a timely manner and apply coping strategies to reduce risks. Integration of well-established theories of crisis management provides valuable information and the development of an appropriate conceptual framework that is applied in the management of enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indifferent, Responsible or Overwhelmed? An Online Survey About the Emotional State of Young Adults During the Early Phases of the Covid-19 Lockdown in Germany and Austria

In the COVID 19 pandemia compliance by the population with legally established preventive measures is of utmost importance to contain the spread of the virus. It can be assumed that these prevention measures are associated with specific burdens which are managed differently by the various population groups. The survey assesses not only the general public's acceptance, concerns and burdens with regard to the prevention measures, but also the corresponding applied coping strategies depending on various socio-demographic and personality-specific factors. An online survey of N=3006 persons living in Germany and Austria during the early lockdown, by means of a self-constructured questionnaire, assesses concerns about the virus and the prevention measures taken by the governments. In addition, standardized scales were used: Stress Processing Questionnaire (SVF 78), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), Insecurity-Intolerance scale (UI-18) and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Overall, a high level of acceptance of the required prevention measures was found. However, the shown emotional reactions were differing among the various population groups: Individuals between 18 and 29 years showed significantly higher negative emotional reactions compared to all other groups. A cluster analysis of this young population group revealed five groups that differed significantly in all surveyed personality factors and showed group-specific coping profiles. Younger people are often described as a particularly vulnerable group in connection with the pandemic. The present study shows, however, that the group of the young adults should not be considered as homogeneous.

Algorithmic Self-Tracking for Health: User Perspectives on Risk Awareness and Coping Strategies

Self-tracking with wearable devices and mobile applications is a popular practice that relies on automated data collection and algorithm-driven analytics. Initially designed as a tool for personal use, a variety of public and corporate actors such as commercial organizations and insurance companies now make use of self-tracking data. Associated social risks such as privacy violations or measurement inaccuracies have been theoretically derived, although empirical evidence remains sparse. This article conceptualizes self-tracking as algorithmic-selection applications and empirically examines users’ risk awareness related to self-tracking applications as well as coping strategies as an option to deal with these risks. It draws on representative survey data collected in Switzerland. The results reveal that Swiss self-trackers’ awareness of risks related to the applications they use is generally low and only a small number of those who self-track apply coping strategies. We further find only a weak association between risk awareness and the application of coping strategies. This points to a cost-benefit calculation when deciding how to respond to perceived risks, a behavior explained as a privacy calculus in extant literature. The widespread willingness to pass on personal data to insurance companies despite associated risks provides further evidence for this interpretation. The conclusions—made even more pertinent by the potential of wearables’ track-and-trace systems and state-level health provision—raise questions about technical safeguarding, data and health literacies, and governance mechanisms that might be necessary considering the further popularization of self-tracking for health.

Development of a virtual reality simulation for exposure based addiction therapy

Abstract After the success of virtual reality (VR) applications in supporting exposure-based and psychoeducational cognitive behavioural therapy for various mental illnesses, the technology is also gaining traction in addiction medicine. This paper will describe the concept behind a custom-developed VR simulation for this application with a particular emphasis on alcohol-related addictive disorders. Using Unreal Engine 4, an exposure simulation and a scenario for learning and applying coping strategies were developed for the Oculus Quest. Because of the common association of supermarkets with the procurement of alcohol among addicts, a small shop was implemented as initial scenario. Since the feeling of presence is an important parameter in the quality assessment of a simulation, the degree of immersion was evaluated in initial practical tests after development. In surveys with ten healthy testers, the majority showed a feeling of immersion. Cybersickness and unrealistic collision physics were identified as disruptive factors to the extent of immersion. This work provides the basis for a novel concept for addiction therapy which focusses on a fusion of playful psychoeducation, adjustable exposure, and the internalization of coping strategies with the help of multisensory biofeedback as well as the documentation of the objective physiological measurements for assessment of therapy success. The aim is to best possible address the specific requirements for clinical and home use in terms of self-containment, immersion, and ease of use. To evaluate and exploit the scientific potential of this concept scientific studies and technical improvements to both simulation and hardware are required.

Applying Coping Strategies in Classroom Management to Handle Students' Misbehaviour

The objective of the study is to discuss the coping strategies to handle students' misbehaviour at a state senior secondary school in South Sumatera. In this study, the researcher investigated how an EFL teacher applied coping strategies in classroom management to handle students' misbehaviour. One teacher was recruited for this study, and semi-structured interview and observational were used in data collection. The study found there are several types of student’s misbehavior that often occured, such as cheating, talkativeness, obtuseness, and inattentiveness. The classification of students’ misbehavior was made in accordance with the research paper of Debreli and Ishanova (2019). However, there are categories not found such as moving around the room, annoying others, and stealing. Coping strategies that are considered most effective to handle students’ misbehavior are talking with students after class, calling the names, and giving praise.

Stressors and Coping Strategies among Nursing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review.

COVID-19 has impacted every aspect of life around the world. Nursing education has moved classes online. Undoubtedly, the period has been stressful for nursing students. The scoping review aimed to explore the relevant evidence related to stressors and coping strategies among nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scoping review methodology was used to map the relevant evidence and synthesize the findings by framing the research question using PICOT, determining the keywords, eligibility criteria, searching the CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases for the relevant studies. The review further involved study selection based on the PRISMA flow diagram, charting the data, collecting, and summarizing the findings. The critical analysis of findings from the 13 journal articles showed that the COVID-19 period has been stressful for nursing students with classes moving online. The nursing students feared the COVID-19 virus along with experiencing anxiety and stressful situations due to distance learning, clinical training, assignments, and educational workloads. Nursing students applied coping strategies of seeking information and consultation, staying optimistic, and transference. The pandemic affected the psychological health of learners as they adjusted to the new learning structure. Future studies should deliberate on mental issues and solutions facing nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Psychological therapies delivered remotely for the management of chronic pain (excluding headache) in adults

Psychological therapies delivered remotely for the management of chronic pain (excluding headache) in adults

Reflecting on the Game: Situational Stressors, Stress Responses, and Coping in German Elite Volleyball Referees

This study uses a thematic content analysis to analyze common stressors for volleyball referees, examine the individual triggered stress responses, and identify the applied coping strategies. A total of 38 German elite volleyball referees (24 male and 14 female,Mage = 38.29 years,SD = 7.91 years) were considered for this study. Through the analysis, 17 stressful events, 14 stress responses, and 6 different coping strategies were identified and further clustered into four main dimensions. Common stressors among elite German volleyball referees were identified as stressful game situations, need for game management, situational environment, and demands on self-activation. These stressors triggered emotional stress reactions, cognitive stress reactions, changes in focus, and reactions among the test group after increased strain. In order to deal with these situations and emotions, referees applied self-regulation strategies, improved focus and concentration, searched for a solution, prepared for the match or a stressor, showed a confident appearance, and tried to accept and let go of mistakes or situations. Post hoc Pearson’s correlation analyses showed significant relationships between emotional and cognitive stress reactions with stressful game situations. Consequently, the role of coping with emotions and thoughts becomes essential for volleyball referees to remain focused and perform.