Changes In Psychological Adjustment Research Articles

Family adjustment to COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: Parental stress, coparenting, and child externalizing behavior.

Evidence of psychological distress in families during COVID‐19 outbreak are arising. However, the perceived changes in psychological adjustment during home confinement with respect to the period before the pandemic have not been addressed yet. Moreover, little is known about the role of coparenting and specific COVID‐19 contextual variables on parental stress and children's behavioral difficulties in the Italian context. Using a cross‐sectional survey, we collected data on 841 Italian parents of children aged 3–11 years with typical development during the home confinement (20th April–18th May). We analyzed levels of parental stress, coparenting, and child externalizing behaviors before and during the home confinement. Additionally, hierarchical regressions were performed to investigate predictors of parental stress and child externalizing behaviors during the lockdown. Results showed that parental stress (especially in mothers) and child externalizing behaviors increased during the lockdown period. Coparenting was a strong predictor of parental stress, together with being a mother, younger child age, less time dedicated to the child, and scarce feasibility of remote working. Besides, child externalizing behaviors were predicted by male gender, less parental time dedicated to the child, higher parental stress, and child distance learning workload. Our findings indicate a negative impact of COVID‐19 lockdown in both parents and children, suggesting that positive coparenting and time dedicated to children may help to reduce the detrimental effect of pandemic restrictions on family adjustment.

726 Relationships Between Sleep and Psychological Adjustment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

IntroductionDisruption of daily routines (employment, social interaction, health behaviors) during the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to psychological distress (worry, rumination), likely impacting sleep-related behaviors. This study evaluated change in psychological adjustment and insomnia symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThe sample included 192 adults from Utah who completed three data collection cycles across 9 consecutive months to assess self-reported depressive, anxiety, and insomnia symptoms. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed via the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-8). Insomnia was measured by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Data were analyzed using mixed-effect modeling and adjusted for anxiety and depression to determine their independent effects on insomnia symptoms. Spaghetti plots examined mean changes over time and significance was set at p<0.05. Average anxiety, depression, and insomnia severity scores were aggregated for each month.ResultsAs participants’ symptoms of anxiety and depression increased in severity, insomnia symptoms increased similarly. Over half of participants reported clinically significant ISI scores (59.38%). In both the random intercept and random slope models, there were significant independent effects of anxiety on insomnia severity (F=20.69; p<0.0001) and significant effects of depression on insomnia severity (F=87.44, p<0.0001). While the change in insomnia severity over time was on the boundary of statistical significance (F=3.54; p=0.0618), dropping from 15.17 (April) to 12.58 (December), our longitudinal analyses revealed no significant difference for the effect of anxiety or depression in predicting insomnia severity over time. Participants’ monthly averages varied for sleep and psychological scores (ISI) from 12.58 to 16.07 (SD=3.76 to 6.34 for December and September, respectively), (GAD-7) from 3.47 to 6.39 (SD=3.36 to 5.26 for December and June, respectively), and (PHQ-8) 4.47 to 6.10 (SD=4.65 to 4.39 for December and June, respectively).ConclusionResults demonstrate high prevalence of insomnia symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and underscore the importance of examining mental health functioning and psychological resiliency on sleep in order to enhance prevention efforts in response to a significant stressor.Support (if any):

Log on and Prosper? Little Evidence for Codevelopment Between Psychological Adjustment and Technology Use in Older Adulthood.

Researchers have hypothesized that using Information and Communications Technology (ICT), such as e-mail and social media, may buffer older adults from normative age-graded declines in psychological adjustment. However, past intervention research has been unable to conclusively evaluate this proposition, and no studies to date have examined this topic using naturalistic large-scale longitudinal methods. In this preregistered study, we examined the codevelopment between three aspects of psychological adjustment (loneliness, satisfaction with life [SWL], and depressiveness) and three factor-analytically derived clusters of ICT use (instrumental, social, and media) using a longitudinal representative sample of 2,922 Dutch adults aged 65 and older that contributed data annually from 2012 to 2017. Latent growth curve analyses indicated that ICT use was largely unrelated to psychological adjustment, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Of 36 associations tested, three were significant, and only one remained significant after including health and demographic covariates. Specifically, higher levels of media ICT use at baseline predicted steeper declines in SWL across the study period. Furthermore, results of random-intercept cross-lagged analyses indicated that change in ICT use did not predict future change in psychological adjustment, and vice versa. Results of this study help clarify the mixed results of past intervention research, indicating that effects of ICT use on psychological adjustment tend to be either null or much smaller than can be detected using typical intervention sample sizes. Overall, these results suggest that the association between technology use and psychological adjustment is negligible in older adults.

Self-Efficacy in Students with and Without Physical Impairment

There has been long term and systematic denial of opportunities to people with disabilities, particularly in fields such as education, employment, housing, transport, cultural life and access to public places and services. The mistreatment and oppression inflicted on individuals who have some form of disability or impairment has been well documented. The present study analyzed associations of general self-efficacy beliefs with psychological adjustment, academic achievement, and attainment of developmental tasks in various hostels and homes with physical impairment and same group peers without physical impairment. In this study the main objective is to compare the self efficacy of physically impaired and without impaired. Between-group differences in levels of self-efficacy beliefs were small. On average, higher self-efficacy beliefs predicted positive change in psychological adjustment (life-satisfaction and emotional symptoms) and academic achievement as well as greater progress in the attainment of developmental tasks of adolescence. However, for emotional symptoms and the discrepancy between desired and present attainment of developmental tasks we found such an effect only for students without physical impairment. This paper also presented by me in National Conference on “Challenges of Contemporary Life – Role of Positive Psychology &amp; 9th Annual Conference of Indian Association of Mental Health from 22nd to 24th January 2015 and not publish myself the same in any journal. We conclude that students with physical impairment may benefit from measures that both promote supportive external conditions for goal attainment and increase the self-management skills needed to translate self-efficacy beliefs into accomplishment of goals and related positive feelings.

Changes in Psychological Adjustment of Female Students During the First Year of Study: Analysis of Defense Mechanisms

The beginning of a study represents for freshmen a difficult period of adjustment Observations obtained in student counseling centers as well as in investigations of students adjustment indicate that the beginning of a study represents for students a specific crisis period determined by dealing with the experiences of lsquo psychological separation rsquo Therefore the aim of the investigation was to prove the existence of a crisis period at the beginning of a study by investigating the change of students rsquo psychological adjustment and their use of defense mechanisms during their first year of study In regard to this aim the task of the investigation was to examine the significance of differences in the level of psychological adjustment and defense mechanisms at the beginning and the end of the first year of study and also The contribution and correlation of defense mechanisms to psychological adjustment In this investigation were involved female freshmen N at the Department of Educational Sciences at the University Juraj Dobrila in Pula Croatia In the investigation a significant lower level of self esteem and also a significant higher level of the use of defense mechanisms were obtained at the beginning than at the end of the first year of study Also In these different self esteems during the first year of study different defense mechanisms had significant contribution So at the beginning in lower level of self esteem a significant contribution had lower mechanisms such as projection while at the end of the first year of study in higher level of self esteem a significant contribution had higher defense mechanisms such as reactive formations In the analysis of correlations among defense mechanisms and different levels of self esteem the same results have been obtained so that at the beginning significantly negative correlations had lower mechanisms such as projection regression and compensation while at the end of the first year of study excluding projection as lower mechanism higher mechanisms had significant correlations such as reaction formation and repression These results contributed to the understanding specificities of initial studying and to developing appropriate psychological approaches in student counseling centers

Changes in Psychological Adjustment of Female Students During the First Year of Study: Analysis of Defense Mechanisms

Changes in Psychological Adjustment of Female Students During the First Year of Study: Analysis of Defense Mechanisms

Changes in psychological adjustment over the course of treatment for breast cancer: the predictive role of social sharing and social support

Although research on social sharing suggests it could be an important factor in subsequent adjustment, it has rarely been examined in combination with the nature of the support received by patients. The goal of this study was to determine whether and to what extent social sharing concerning the disease and perceived social support after breast surgery explain psychological adjustment at the end of the treatment. One hundred two participants were recruited consecutively at a large cancer care center (Gustave Roussy, France). After surgery (T1) and at the end of the adjuvant treatment (T2), patients responded to self-report questionnaires assessing psychological adjustment (depressive symptoms and cancer-related distress), social sharing concerning the illness, and perceived social support (generic and cancer specific). When the initial levels of adjustment were controlled for, hierarchical multiple regression models showed that greater instrumental support at T1 accounted for favorable changes in depressive symptoms at T2. In contrast, the perception of aversive attitudes in the environment and the avoidance of social sharing explained an increase in intrusive cancer-related thoughts. The results suggest a negative impact of aversive attitudes from the environment on adjustment during treatment. It also confirms the importance of practical aspects of social support after surgery. In line with Lepore theory, sharing about the illness in a supportive environment may be of primary importance in the cognitive processing of cancer and thus may promote adjustment. These results have original implications for the counseling of patients and their relatives.

Anxiety, psychological well-being and self-esteem in Spanish families with blind children. A change in psychological adjustment?

In this study, the relation between levels of anxiety, self-esteem and subjective psychological well-being is analyzed in a Spanish sample of 28 fathers and 33 mothers of blind children. The results reveal a positive correlation between subjective psychological well-being and self-esteem, and a negative correlation between anxiety and subjective psychological well-being, and between anxiety and self-esteem. In comparison with the general population, no statistically significant differences were found in anxiety and subjective psychological well-being; however, levels of self-esteem were significantly higher in families with blind children. These results suggest that the process of adaptation described in previous research may be changing, as having a blind child does not necessarily lead to parents' maladjustment.

Trajectories of depressive symptoms and self-esteem in Latino youths: Examining the role of gender and perceived discrimination.

The current longitudinal study examined changes in Latino adolescents' (N = 323, M age = 15.31 years) self-esteem and depressive symptoms across the high school years. Differences in trajectories were examined by gender and perceived ethnic discrimination. Findings revealed that self-esteem increased across high school for both male adolescents and female adolescents. Depressive symptoms, however, showed differences by gender, with female adolescents reporting a decline in depressive symptoms across high school and male adolescents reporting no change. Perceived ethnic discrimination emerged as an important predictor of male adolescents' self-esteem in early high school and predicted changes in self-esteem growth for male adolescents and female adolescents across the high school years. Perceived ethnic discrimination also emerged as a significant predictor of adolescents' depressive symptoms in early high school but did not relate to changes in symptoms across time. Together, findings suggest that Latino adolescents experience positive changes in psychological adjustment across this developmental time. Experiences of ethnic discrimination, however, have the potential of placing adolescents at risk for maladjustment over time. These findings inform our understanding of Latino youth development and point to the importance of early high school years in youths' psychological functioning.

Adolescents of the US National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study: the impact of having a known or an unknown donor on the stability of psychological adjustment

The current study is based on the US National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS), which was designed to document the development of the first generation of lesbian families with children conceived through donor insemination. Data were collected in five waves, first at insemination or during pregnancy, and subsequently when the index children were 2, 5, 10 and 17 years old. The study is ongoing, with a 93% retention rate to date. The purpose of the current investigation was to assess changes in psychological adjustment of the index offspring between the time that they were 10 and 17 years old (T4 and T5) and to examine the effects of having a known or an as-yet-unknown donor. The total T5 sample consisted of 78 adolescents. The mothers in 74 families completed a Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) on their offspring at both T4 and T5: 26 of these offspring had been conceived through known sperm donors and 48 through unknown donors. Changes in psychological adjustment were assessed through computations of stability coefficients between T4 and T5 on all CBCL subscales, and by means of a general linear model (GLM). On 10 out of 11 CBCL subscales, the stability coefficients were not significantly different for adolescents with known and unknown donors. Findings from the GLM showed that no main effect for donor type was found; for offspring in both donor groups thought problems and rule-breaking behaviour were higher and scores on social problems and aggressive behaviour were lower at T5 than T4. The development of psychological well-being in the offspring of lesbian mothers over a 7-year period from childhood through adolescence is the same for those who were conceived through known and unknown donors.

Actual environments do affect motivation and psychological adjustment: A test of self-determination theory in a natural setting

This study examined the impact of the actual environment on changes in psychological adjustment over time. According to Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci and Ryan, Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior, 1985a, Plenum, New York; J Res Pers 19:109–134, 1985b; Psychol Inq 11:227–268, 2000), environments that are objectively supportive of autonomy should facilitate psychological adjustment through their impact on people’s subjective perceptions of autonomy and self-determined motivation. The present study tested this hypothesis using a prospective design with nursing homes residents. Results from structural equation modeling showed that actual autonomy-supportive nursing home environments were positively associated with residents’ perceptions of autonomy that in turn predicted self-determined motivation in major life domains. Self-determined motivation, in turn, predicted increases in psychological adjustment over a one-year period. Theoretical implications of the present findings are discussed in line with SDT.

Coping with ovarian cancer risk: The moderating effects of perceived control on coping and adjustment

Although perceived control and coping have been studied across various health conditions, these relationships have been less well studied in the context of coping with cancer risk over time. The present study was a longitudinal study of the effects of perceived control and problem-focused coping on changes in psychological adjustment and behavioural outcomes among women at increased risk for ovarian cancer. Eighty women enrolled in a familial cancer risk assessment programme participated in this study. Assessments of problem-focused coping, perceived control and distress were collected upon entry into the programme and again at 3-month follow-up. Behavioural adherence to screening during the 12-month period following programme entry was obtained from clinic records. Using hierarchical regression analysis, we observed a significant interaction between perceived control and problem-focused coping for psychological distress, beta=0.94, p<.05. Specifically, problem-focused coping was associated with increasing distress over time among women who perceived high control. A significant control by coping interaction was also observed for behavioural adherence to pelvic ultrasound and CA125 screening, such that women who perceived high control and utilized problem-focused coping were less likely to undergo screening. Under conditions of high perceived control, problem-focused coping was associated with increasing distress as well as poorer behavioural adherence. Thus, perceived control and problem-focused coping may not always yield positive psychological or behavioural health outcomes. These findings contribute to a greater understanding of how problem-focused coping and perceived control may influence the course of adjustment to cancer risk over time.

Who benefits? Outcome following a coping skills group intervention for traumatically brain injured individuals

Primary objective: To investigate the variables associated with positive psychological outcome following a group intervention for 33 individuals with traumatic brain injury.Research design: Evaluation study which used multiple regression analysis to examine the variables associated with change in psychological adjustment following a 10-session cognitive behaviour therapy-based group.Methods and procedures: The predictor variables were age at injury, time since injury, injury severity, self-awareness, pre-morbid intellectual function, memory function, executive function and level of depression and anxiety prior to intervention.Main outcomes and results: The predictor variables contributed a significant proportion of the variance in percentage change in depression. The major finding was that better outcomes following intervention were associated with greater self-awareness of injury-related deficits.Conclusions: The present study identified a number of variables that were associated with improvement in depression following psychological intervention and may assist future treatment resources to be directed most effectively.

Psychological Outcomes for Women After Assisted Reproductive Technology Treatment

Fertility treatment offers women the possibility of having a child when they would otherwise not be able to. However, there is little doubt that treatment can be highly stressful, particularly when it fails. Although the potential for negative consequences of failed treatment is a major concern, strong longitudinal research evidence is sparse. Our aim was to examine whether the resolution of infertility through having a child, either biologically or through adoption, would be associated with positive changes in psychological adjustment compared to those women who continued to face infertility.

Ending treatment: the course of emotional adjustment and quality of life among breast cancer survivors immediately following radiation therapy

This study investigated changes in psychological adjustment and quality of life among breast cancer patients following completion of radiation therapy. Ninety-four patients completed measures of depressed mood, anxiety, and quality of life via interview at five time points: the end of radiation therapy, 2 weeks posttreatment, the first radiation oncology follow-up appointment (4-6 weeks after treatment), 3 months posttreatment, and 6 months posttreatment. At the conclusion of radiation treatment, participants reported elevated levels of depression, low levels of anxiety, and diminished quality of life. By 2 weeks posttreatment, depression decreased significantly and overall quality of life improved significantly, as well as quality of life in the specific FACT-B domains of Physical and Functional Well Being and the Breast Cancer Subscale. Following that time, the only significant change involved further improvement in breast-cancer-specific concerns. Results suggest that the primary psychological changes associated with ending breast cancer treatment occur quickly following the conclusion of treatment. Thereafter, psychological status appears to stabilize. The implications of these findings for treatment and directions for future research are discussed.

An exploration of adjustment to pain: interactions with attribution and individual difference variables

This study explored the nature of and the interactions between self-defined adjustment to pain, attributions, and individual difference variables. Sixty-two pain sufferers were interviewed using a semi-structured measure to allow them to define psychological, physical and social adjustment. Changes in psychological adjustment were also examined, using retrospective and current reports. Responsibility and blame were measured to determine the adaptive nature of attributions to the self and others, using these outcomes. The main results indicated the following. Individual differences in adjustment emerged. Various physical and social limitations of pain were reported, and they were frequently reported by participants aged 60 years and over. Additionally, adjustment outcomes not measured by more structured adjustment measures emerged, including positive statements. These were frequently reported by arthritis sufferers, and people with pain for over nine years’ duration. Descriptive analyses suggested that positive statements along with negative emotions changed for different times in the pain experience, in terms of their nature and frequency. Other-responsibility attributions were positively associated with negative psychological adjustment (p<0.05). Implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

Adult Trauma and HIV Status Among Latinas: Effects Upon Psychological Adjustment and Substance Use

Latinas have unique cultural factors that can contribute to their health, including recent immigration, documentation status, and language barriers. Additional stressors and experiencing traumatic events can further compromise their psychological adjustment and substance use. This study tests the differential contribution of adult trauma and other life stressors to psychological adjustment and substance use among Latinas who differ in their HIV status and level of acculturation. Baseline and 1-year follow-up data on a community sample of 113 (79 HIV-positive and 34 HIV-negative) 1 to 50 year old Latinas were examined with path analyses to estimate the influence of acculturation, HIV status, and adult trauma, including intimate partner violence (IPV) and sexual assault, on subsequent changes in psychological adjustment (depression) and substance use 1 year later. Age, education, and relationship status were controlled and further analyses examined the interactive influence of HIV status and acculturation and trauma on the outcomes. Findings indicate that both acculturation and HIV status were related to the outcome variables, but did not influence these over time, emphasizing the developmental stability of these processes. Education was the most prominent variable in protecting these women from HIV, depression, and intimate partner violence (IPV), but placed them at greater risk for illicit drug use. The primary predictors of change in the outcome variables were domestic and sexual trauma were exacerbated by HIV positive status. Implications for future research and culturally relevant prevention and intervention programs are discussed.

School transition from elementary to secondary school: changes in psychological adjustment

School transition is a critical life event for many children. However, the effects of school transition on children's stress experiences reported in the literature have been inconsistent. The present study with 564 third- to sixth-graders compared the changes in experienced stress level and in somatic and psychological symptoms during the transition from elementary to secondary schools (from grade 4 to grade 5) to the changes of two control groups (experiencing changes from grades 3 to 4 and from grades 5 to 6, but without school transition). The results show decreases in experienced stress levels and somatic and psychological symptoms after school transition. However, these decreases reflect mainly recovery effects after the school summer break, as comparisons with the control groups indicate.

A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Family, Friends, and School Experiences on the Psychological Adjustment of Ethnic Minority, Low-SES Adolescents

This study examined the independent and combined influence of demographic variables (gender and ethnicity) and contextual variables (perceived family and friend support, and school climate) on changes in psychological adjustment (self-esteem and depressive symptoms) over a 2-year period. The sample included 100 Black, Latino, and Asian American adolescents from low-income families. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the increase over time in reported levels of self-esteem was significantly greater for those who reported more positive perceptions of school climate at Time 1. Unexpectedly, the increase in self-esteem and the decrease in depressive symptoms over time were also significantly greater for those who reported lower family support at Time 1. Post hoc analyses were conducted to better understand the patterns detected. Findings underscore the importance of positive school experiences for students' psychological well-being and the need to examine the meaning of family support.

Measuring the Tendency to Conceal Versus Disclose Psychological Distress

Abstract Individual differences in one's tendency to conceal versus disclose psychological distress were hypothesized to reflect a unidimensional construct related to changes in psychological adjustment. These hypotheses were tested using a newly validated self-report instrument called the Distress Disclosure Index. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the existence of one bipolar dimension reflecting the frequent concealment (i.e., rare disclosure) of distress on one end of the continuum and frequent disclosure (i.e., rare concealment) on the other. Moreover, this construct predicted changes in self-esteem, life satisfaction, and perceived social support over a 2-month period. Implications for the measurement and theories of concealment and disclosure are discussed.