Changes In Sense Of Coherence Research Articles

Questioning the stability of sense of coherence--the impact of socio-economic status and working conditions in the Canadian population.

Much debate exists about the stability of the sense of coherence measure. This study examined changes in sense of coherence (SOC), and the variables associated with these changes, over a 4-year period, in a representative sample of the Canadian labour force (n=6,790). Two methods were used to assess change in SOC: (1) Change outside of that which could be considered as indistinguishable from measurement error, and (2) Change of more than 10%, which was originally proposed by Antonovksy, the scales designer. Over the study period, 35.4% of the population reported changes in SOC outside the range we consider possible due to measurement error, with 58% reporting change greater than 10%. Unskilled occupations were associated with declines in SOC, with household income demonstrating a curvilinear relationship with decline in SOC in the female population only. None of the variables used predicted increases in SOC. Given the degree of change in SOC, and the representativeness of the study sample, we suggest that SOC has a large state component. Given this lack of stability, we recommend caution if using the SOC to represent a stable global orientation within a causal context.

Enhancement of a sense of coherence and natural killer cell activity which occurred in subjects who improved their exercise habits through health education in the workplace.

We have previously demonstrated that a sense of coherence (SOC), a candidate for a mediating stress factor, is involved in natural killer cell activity (NKCA) reduced in smokers, whereas the relationship among exercise, NKCA and SOC is unclear. To clarify the effects of exercise on SOC and NKCA, we examined the changes in SOC and NKCA before and after health education to encourage exercise. Of one-hundred and one male office workers who received the health education for one year, 27 improved, 65 were unchanged and 9 had deteriorated exercise habits. The repeated measures analysis of variance showed that SOC in workers with improvement in the exercise habit were increased more significantly by the health education than those in workers without improvement (p<0.05). Although the change in NKCA produced by health education was recognized to be significantly different in those who had never smoked from that in current smokers (p<0.05), multiple regression analysis demonstrated that improvement in health practice significantly contributed to increases in both SOC (p<0.01) and NKCA (p<0.05) in never smokers, independently of other psychological factors. These results suggest that subjects with improvement in exercise enhance NKCA through increased SOC in never smokers.

The stability of sense of coherence: comparing two age groups in a 5-year follow-up study

In the original theoretical formulation, Antonovsky (1987a) proposed that sense of coherence is a developmental construct that becomes stabilized at the age of 30. The present 5-year follow-up study was designed to test this hypothesis by investigating the differences in stability in sense of coherence among two age groups the younger group of which consisted of individuals under and the older group of individuals over 30 years of age. The participants were Finnish technical designers (N=352) of whom 40% (n=141) comprised the younger age group (25–29 years) and 60% (n=211) the older age group (35–40 years). The 13-item Orientation to Life Questionnaire (Antonovsky, 1987a) was used to measure sense of coherence at two time points (years 1992 and 1997). The methodology of the study was based on longitudinal factor analysis models using the LISREL framework. The results were not in line with Antonovsky's theory: more stability in sense of coherence was not found in the older group of subjects compared with the younger group. In fact, age did not play any role in the stability of, level of or mean changes in sense of coherence. Thus, the findings indicate that Antonovsky’s (1987a, 1991) theory is in need of revision regarding the development and stability of sense of coherence in adulthood.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Sense of Coherence Among Women With Fibromyalgia

Sense of Coherence (SOC) is conceptualized as a disposition to experience life as meaningful and manageable. Research suggests a protective effect of SOC on psychological health in stressful circumstances. This study assessed the capacity of SOC to buffer the effect of illness symptoms on psychological distress among patients with fibromyalgia. Self-reported changes in SOC after participation in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program were also examined. Ninety-one women with fibromyalgia provided baseline data pertaining to illness symptoms, perceived stress, and depression prior to participation in a randomized trial of MBSR. SOC and fibromyalgia symptoms were independently related to perceived stress and depression at baseline. SOC was not a statistically significant moderator of symptom effects on psychological distress. In comparison with wait-listed controls, program participants reported a significant increase in SOC after MBSR participation. These results provide the first demonstration from a randomized trial that SOC may be enhanced via intervention.

The validity of Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence measure in a sample of schizophrenic patients living in the community.

To examine the construct and predictive validity of Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence (SOC) concept in a sample of schizophrenic persons living in the community. The salutogenic model of Antonovsky proposes that the individual's sense of coherence, which is a personal orientation towards life, determines the health experience. The salutogenic perspective might in several advantageous aspects contribute to the care and support for patients with a long and persistent mental illness like schizophrenia. The study is a 18-month follow-up study. Structured interviews were used to interview 120 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or a schizoaffective disorder. Pearlin's mastery scale, Rosenberg's self-esteem scale, the Interview Schedule for Social Interactions (ISSI) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) were used as construct validity measures of the SOC scale. Health related measures such as quality of life, global well-being, satisfaction with health assessed by the Lancashire Quality of Life Profile (LQOLP) and global psychosocial functioning (GAF) were used in calculations of the predictive validity of SOC. The SOC was positively related to mastery, self-esteem and social support but negatively associated to psychopathology. In total, mastery, self-esteem and adequacy of social integration explained 61.1% of the variance in SOC, and mastery contributed with the greatest part of the variance, 46.3% SOC was positively associated to all health related measures and changes in SOC during an 18-month follow-up was positively correlated to changes in overall subjective quality of life, general health, global well-being and global psychosocial functioning. The results gave support to the construct and predictive validity of the SOC measure in individuals suffering from a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

A mediational model of sense of coherence in the work context: a one-year follow-up study

The aim of this study was to test a mediational model appropriate for explaining the effects of psychosocial work characteristics (influence at work, job insecurity, organizational climate and leadership relations) on general well-being, (psychosomatic symptoms) and on occupational well-being (emotional exhaustion at work) via sense of coherence (SOC) in a one-year follow-up study. The questionnaire data were gathered in four Finnish organizations in February 1995 and 1996. Altogether 219 employees participated in the study in both years. The results, based on structural equation modelling, showed that a good organizational climate and low job insecurity were related to strong SOC, which was, in turn, linked to a high level of general as well as occupational well-being. In addition, those employees who experienced changes in organizational climate and leadership relations during the follow-up period, showed changes in SOC which was, in turn, related to changes in the well-being indicators. The results thus highlight the major role of a good organizational climate for enhancing SOC and, consequently, well-being. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.