Coping Self-efficacy Research Articles

Resources of psychological resilience in combating the stressors of war

Numerous sociological studies have recorded a generally stable psycho-emotional state of the population since the beginning of a full-scale invasion, despite the constant negative pressure of existential threats. However, there are still no representative quantitative studies that would allow us to determine which psychological resources ensure the stability of the psychological state of the population in conditions of prolonged exposure to the negative influence of wartime stressors. This article is devoted to finding an answer to this question. An analysis of existing theoretical works devoted to the study of psychological resources for coping with stressors has shown a significant variety of possible solutions regarding the involvement of certain resources in the analysis. It was decided to focus on those resources whose role is considered key, regardless of the theoretical positions of the researchers. Accordingly, we focused on determining the role of optimism, which is operationalized as positive expectations about the future, self-efficacy, which is understood in a broad sense as the ability to control the situation, and emotional stability, which is understood as the ability to control emotional reactions to an unfavorable situation. To assess the role of psychological resources in coping with stressors, a special tool was created in the study: the Complex Psychological Resources Assessment Scale - "Complex Psychological Resources - 8". Multiple linear regression analysis was used to study the relationship between the CPR-8 scale and the expanded distress scale (SCL-28). Multiple regression models for each of the stress states were built to assess the role of the CPR-8 scale components as predictors. A comparison procedure was used to determine the role of optimism, self-efficacy and emotional stability in coping with stressors. The respondents’ identification of stressors that have a negative impact on them and the resources that help them resist such impact were compared in groups with different levels of expression of each of the studied individual psychological resources. The analysis confirmed: 1 - the role of optimism and self-efficacy as key psychological resources that help maintain the stability of the psychological state of the population under the long-term pressure of wartime stressors; 2 - the relationship between psychological stability and high activity and intensive involvement in social relations; 3 - the leading role of self-efficacy in reducing the relevance of the negative impact of stressors in risk groups (women and youth); 4 - the importance of emotional stability as a predictor of stressors associated with panic, conflicts and suffering due to what they heard and saw in the media.

Psychometric Properties of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Self-Efficacy Questionnaire in Heart Failure Patients: A Cross Sectional Study Using Health Action Process Approach Perspective.

The present study aimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate the exercise self-efficacy tool within the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) framework among heart failure patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. This study assessed 205 patients who had suffered heart attacks at the Shahid Chamran Cardiac Rehabilitation Center of Isfahan. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to evaluate the construct. Internal reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha. Additionally, external reliability was measured through a test-retest approach. EFA identified four factors within the self-efficacy questions (task self-efficacy 1, task self-efficacy 2, coping self-efficacy, and recovery self-efficacy), which accounted for 70.1% of the total variance explained. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients were as follows: 0.836 for the first factor, 0.896 for the second factor, 0.921 for the third factor, 0.914 for the fourth factor, and 0.9 for the overall instrument. The intra-class correlation coefficient was 0.901 for the first factor, 0.887 for the second factor, 0.826 for the third factor, and 0.885 for the fourth factor. The cardiac rehabilitation self-efficacy questionnaire exhibited high validity, reliability, and desirable item commonalities. Therefore, it can be effectively employed in pertinent HAPA-based studies involving heart failure patients.

Coping Self-Efficacy and Stress Mindset as Predictors of Student Success Outcomes

University students experience stress from academic demands. Stress is in fact expected in academic settings and important for achieving goals. How students experience the inevitable stress in the academic context, and whether stress is a support or hindrance for them, is related to their beliefs about stress. This study examined two types of beliefs regarding academic stress: (a) perceptions of being capable of coping with academic stress and demands, named coping self-efficacy, and (b) general beliefs regarding stress itself, named stress mindset, and the impact of those two stress beliefs on two types of outcomes related to student success: academic performance (GPA) and student experiences (mental health, perceived motivation challenges). Findings indicate coping self-efficacy positively predicts higher mental health and lower motivation challenges; neither stress mindset nor coping self-efficacy predicted GPA. Coping self-efficacy in the university context, which denotes feeling capable of managing stress and academic demands, emerged as a useful predictor of student success outcomes. As eliminating stress altogether is not practical or possible, this research focuses on beliefs about stress as important for student success.

Impact of smokeless tobacco on psychological and oxidative stress in unemployed indian youth

In India, tobacco (nicotine) addiction among youth has increased, leading to substantial socioeconomic burdens, mortality, and morbidity. While minimal short-term nicotine consumption may have antioxidant effects, chronic exposure results in various adverse health outcomes. This study examines the impact of chronic nicotine consumption on cellular oxidative stress and psychological stress, and their correlation with Homocysteine (Hcy) levels in unemployed tobacco consumers. This case-control study included 156 healthy, educated, unemployed male volunteers aged 20–40 years, divided into nicotine-addicted (n = 80) and non-addicted (n = 76) groups. Psychological stress was assessed using perceived stress scales (PSS) and coping self-efficacy (CSE) scales. Oxidative stress markers, including Malondialdehyde (MDA), Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), and Catalase, were measured. Hcy levels were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Nicotine-addicted participants exhibited significantly higher perceived stress (p = 0.0001) and lower coping self-efficacy (p = 0.0001) compared to non-addicted individuals. MDA levels in erythrocytes were significantly increased (p = 0.0006), while SOD (p = 0.0001) and Catalase (p = 0.02) activities were significantly decreased in the addicted group. Nicotine intake influenced Hcy concentrations, with 55% of addicted individuals falling into moderate, 27.5% into intermediate, and 7.5% into severe Hcy categories. Chronic nicotine intake also reflected the hematological parameters (WBCs, RBCs, HGB, and Platelets). Chronic tobacco consumption induces oxidative stress and perceived psychological stress, leading to elevated Hcy levels in nicotine consumers. The study highlights the detrimental effects of nicotine addiction on cellular defensive mechanisms, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to address this growing health issue among unemployed Indian youth.

Positive Effects of Two Interventions to Reduce Stress in Students of Different Courses of Study

Abstract: Background: Students report high levels of stress. Aim: Investigation of the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral and meditation interventions to reduce stress in students of psychology and dentistry. Method: In longitudinal control group comparisons, 262 students were divided into five groups: cognitive-behavioral training (IGcogPsy: n = 59 psychology; IGcogDent: n = 41 dentistry), mindfulness-based meditation (IGmedPsy: n = 63 psychology), measurement controls (CGPsy: n = 57 psychology; CGDent: n = 42 dentistry). 126 psychology students (IGcogPsy: n = 43; IGmedPsy: n = 47; CGPsy: n = 36) took follow-up tests 6 months after training. Results: ANCOVAs with repeated measurement factor (interactions group/time t1 to t2; co-variates: terms studied, gender, the stress in addition to studies) and contrasts over pairwise differences (alpha-error accumulation correction applied) showed stronger improvements for all IGs compared to CGs in coping strategies, self-efficacy, and learning strategies. IGcogPsy also improved more in test anxiety, and IGcogDent in test anxiety, trait and state anxiety. IGcogPsy and IGmedPsy reduced stress symptoms. At follow-up (simultaneous ANCOVAs t1, t2, t3; contrasts), more favorable development in test anxiety and some learning strategies resulted in both IGcogPsy and IGmedPsy compared to CGPsy. Limitations: Controls received feedback on concentration development but no alternative intervention. Confounding by self-selection cannot be ruled out. Conclusion: Cognitive-behavioral intervention had comprehensive impacts on all areas under investigation for both psychology and dental students; meditation was effective primarily in areas not directly related to action. Both interventions evoked some long-term effects.

The Impact of a Digital Cancer Survivorship Patient Engagement Toolkit on Older Cancer Survivors' Health Outcomes.

Cancer predominantly affects older adults. An estimated 62% of the 15.5 million American cancer survivors are 65 years or older. Provision of supportive care is critical to this group; however, limited resources are available to them. As older survivors increasingly adopt technology, digital health programs have significant potential to provide them with longitudinal supportive care. Previously, we developed/tested a digital Cancer Survivorship Patient Engagement Toolkit for older adults, Cancer Survivorship Patient Engagement Toolkit Silver. The study examined the preliminary impact of the Cancer Survivorship Patient Engagement Toolkit Silver on older survivors' health outcomes. This was a 2-arm randomized controlled trial with two observations (baseline, 8 weeks) on a sample of 60 older cancer survivors (mean age, 70.1 ± 3.8 years). Outcomes included health-related quality of life, self-efficacy for coping with cancer, symptom burden, health behaviors, and patient-provider communication. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, linear mixed models, and content analysis. At 8 weeks, the Cancer Survivorship Patient Engagement Toolkit Silver group showed more improved physical health-related quality of life (P < .001, effect size = 0.64) and symptom burden (P = .053, effect size = -0.41) than the control group. Self-efficacy (effect size = 0.56), mental health-related quality of life (effect size = 0.26), and communication (effect size = 0.40) showed clinically meaningful effect sizes of improvement. Most participants reported benefits on health management (mean, 19.41 ± 2.6 [3-21]). Further research is needed with larger and more diverse older cancer populations.

The Mediating Role of Trauma Centrality in the Correlation Between Coping Self-Efficacy and Posttraumatic Growth Level of Disaster Volunteers.

Volunteers who respond to disasters play a crucial role in disaster management. However, their indirect exposure to traumatic events during their duties can adversely affect their mental health. The aim of the study was to determine the correlation among trauma centrality, coping self-efficacy, and posttraumatic growth and trauma centrality as possible mediator role in this relationship. A total of 112 disaster volunteers participated. The data were collected with a Demographic Form, the Centrality of Events Scale, the Post-Traumatic Growth Scale, and the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale. Disaster volunteers exhibited above average event centrality, high levels of posttraumatic growth, and coping self-efficacy. A positive correlation was identified among trauma centrality, posttraumatic growth, and coping self-efficacy, with trauma centrality playing a full mediating role. This study will be instrumental in better understanding the posttraumatic processes of disaster volunteers and in strengthening coping capacities, guiding the implementation of preventive and protective psychosocial interventions.

Self-management support program delivered in the sub-acute phase after traumatic injury—study protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial

BackgroundTraumatic injuries, defined as physical injuries with sudden onset, are a major cause of distress and disability, with far-reaching societal consequences. A significant proportion of trauma survivors report persistent symptoms and difficulties after the injury, and studies show unmet health care needs. Self-management programs delivered in the sub-acute phase after traumatic injuries are scarcely evaluated. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-management program (SEMPO), delivered 3–4 months after moderate-to-severe traumatic injury.MethodsThis study protocol describes a pragmatic randomized controlled trial (RCT) with two classical RCT arms (intervention and control) and an explorative self-selection arm. 220 patients will be recruited from Oslo University Hospital, the largest Trauma Referral Centre in Norway. Patients aged 18–72 years residing in the south-east region of Norway, admitted to the Trauma Centre directly or within 72 h after having sustained a moderate to severe traumatic injury, defined as a New Injury Severity Score > 9, having at least 2 days hospital stay, and reporting injury-related symptoms and impairment at discharge from the acute hospital will be included. Patients will be randomly assigned to either a classical RCT randomization arm (intervention or control arm) or to a self-selection arm. In the randomization arm, participants are further randomized into intervention or control group. Participants allocated to the self-selection arm will choose to partake either in the intervention or control arm. The primary outcome is the level of self-efficacy in trauma coping assessed 6 months after completion of the intervention, with a similar time point for the control group. Secondary outcomes include symptom burden, physical functioning and disability, return to work and health care utilization, health-related quality of life, and communication competency. In addition, patients will be asked to nominate one domain-related measurement as their preferred outcome measure.DiscussionThis RCT will determine the effect of a self-management program tailored to patients with moderate to severe physical trauma, and the self-selection arm incorporates the potential influence of patient treatment preferences on intervention results. If the intervention proves effective, cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses will be performed and thereby provide important information for clinicians and policy makers.Trial registrationThe study is registered in Clinical Trials with the identifier: NCT06305819. Registered on March 05, 2004.

Surveillance-Associated Anxiety After Curative-Intent Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Regular surveillance imaging is commonly used after curative-intent resection of most solid-organ cancers to enable prompt diagnosis and management of recurrent disease. Given the fear of cancer recurrence, surveillance may lead to distress and anxiety ("scanxiety") but its frequency, severity, and management among cancer survivors are poorly understood. A systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases was conducted to evaluate existing literature on anxiety and emotional experiences associated with surveillance after curative-intent cancer surgery as well as interventions aimed at reducing scanxiety. Across the 22 included studies encompassing 8693 patients, reported rates of scanxiety varied significantly, but tended to decrease as time elapsed after surgery. Qualitative studies showed that scanxiety arises from various factors innate to the surveillance experience and is most prevalent in the scan-to-results waiting period. Common risk factors for scanxiety included sociodemographic and cancer-related characteristics, low coping self-efficacy, pre-existing anxiety, and low patient well-being. Conversely, reassurance was a positive aspect of surveillance reported in several studies. Trials evaluating the impact of interventions all focused on modifying the surveillance regimen compared with usual care, but none led to reduced rates of scanxiety. Although scanxiety is nearly universal across multiple cancer types and patient populations, it is transient and generally limited in severity. Because existing trials evaluating interventions to reduce scanxiety have not identified effective strategies to date, future research is needed to identify interventions aimed at reducing their impact on high-risk individuals.

Impact of COVID-19 on psychological distress in subsequent stages of the pandemic: The role of received social support.

This longitudinal study examined a sample of adult Poles (N = 1245), who were interviewed three times from July 2021 to August 2022, during the later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study had two primary objectives. The first was to assess the impact of the pandemic on psychological distress, measured through symptoms of depression and anxiety. The pandemic's effects were evaluated using three predictors: direct exposure to COVID-19, COVID-19 related stressors, and perceived threats from COVID-19. The second objective was to investigate the role of received social support in coping with the pandemic's hardships. Receipt of social support was measured by both the quantity of help received and the perceived quality of that support. A Latent Growth Curve Model (LGCM) was employed to analyze psychological distress across three waves, controlling for sociodemographic variables, non-COVID life events, coping self-efficacy, and perceived social support. Findings indicated that COVID-19 stressors and COVID-19 threats were strongly and consistently associated with greater psychological distress throughout the study period. The impact of direct COVID-19 exposure was limited. The quantity of received support predicted higher distress, whereas higher quality of received support was linked to better mental health. Crucially, the relationship between the quantity of support and distress was moderated by the quality of support. Effective social support was associated with the lowest distress levels, regardless of the amount of help received. Conversely, receiving large amounts of low-quality support was detrimental to psychological health. In summary, the ongoing psychosocial challenges of COVID-19 significantly eroded mental health, highlighting the importance of support quality over quantity in coping with significant life adversities.

Disentangling the relationship between state self-compassion and state coping self-efficacy using dynamic structural equation modeling.

The cross-sectional association between self-compassion and coping self-efficacy has been well documented, but little is known about the extent to which self-compassion or coping self-efficacy persists in daily life. This study used dynamic structural equation modeling to explore the temporal relationship between self-compassion and coping self-efficacy through a daily diary study. Participants (N = 240, Mage = 18.98 ± 0.99 years, 44.8% female) completed 14 consecutive daily diaries on self-compassion and coping self-efficacy (for a total of 3219 observations). We found that self-compassion and coping self-efficacy demonstrated stability through autocorrelations. Self-compassion was a significant predictor of subsequent coping self-efficacy, and coping self-efficacy was a significant predictor of subsequent self-compassion. These findings suggest that there has been a virtuous cycle between state coping self-efficacy and state self-compassion.

Emotional factors and self-efficacy in the psychological well-being of trainee teachers.

The relationship among emotional intelligence, stress, and self-efficacy is a crucial factor in shaping psychological well-being. It has a significant impact on important areas such as health, academic and professional performance, and overall quality of life. Using a hierarchical approach, this study aimed to identify, the specific predictors of psychological well-being, including emotional intelligence, stress, resilience, burnout, and self-efficacy, among higher education students pursuing a bachelor's degree in education. We also examined gender differences among these predictors. This study involved 338 higher education students pursuing a primary education teaching degree. The results obtained using the hierarchical regression analysis technique, indicated that the resilience measure, the burnout measure, and the factor of the teacher self-efficacy measure related to self-efficacy in coping with challenges and effectiveness in dealing with change in the educational context, significantly contributed to explaining psychological well-being in the total sample. Furthermore, the predictors of psychological well-being differed between male and female samples. Finally, these findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications for improving the training process of future teachers.

Social and emotional well-being intervention to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression among Ukrainian refugees resettled in Massachusetts.

Mental health problems are high among refugees due to their traumatic experiences of fleeing war and witnessing disasters and deaths due to violence and conflict. Refugees are exposed to various socio-cultural stressors during their migration journey before, during, and after arriving at the host country, which may increase their risk of mental health problems. Strength-based interventions may be beneficial to address their socio-cultural and psychological stressors by strengthening individual's strengths to address their problems. This study evaluated the effect of a Social and Emotional Wellbeing intervention on mental health (stress, anxiety, and depression) and emotional health outcomes (coping, self-efficacy, social support, and conflict resolution) among Ukrainian refugees in Massachusetts. We implemented intervention (once-weekly/5-week) among 31 Ukrainian refugees with pre-and post-assessment of mental and emotional health outcomes (2022-2023). The intervention consisted 5-module: managing stress and mind-body exercise, strengthening communication and social networking, problem-solving, and creating a healthy family environment. Validated scales were used to measure mental and emotional health outcomes, such as the Hopkins-Symptom-Checklist-25 for anxiety and depression and the Cohen-Perceived-Stress scale for stress. Paired t-test was used for data analysis. The pre versus post-intervention proportion reduced for anxiety (61.29% vs. 22.58%) and depression (58.06% vs. 22.58%). The mean scores significantly decreased from pre- to post-intervention by 6.26 points for stress, by 7.07 points for anxiety, and by 6.29 points for depression (both p's < .01). The mean scores significantly increased for coping (by 15.71), emotion-focused engagement (4.48), problem-focused engagement (4.80), social support (8.77), problem-focused coping self-efficacy (14.93), stop unpleasant emotions and thoughts (12.74), and friends networking (3.48; all p's < .01). The stress, anxiety, and depression were reduced, and coping, self-efficacy, and social support networking skills were improved among Ukrainians after intervention. This program should be replicated in the larger community for a wider benefit.

Inner strength, coping self-efficacy and coping strategy of patients with peritoneal dialysis: A exploratory cross-sectional study.

The purpose of the study was to investigate and analyse inner strength of patients with peritoneal dialysis, explore the associations among inner strength, coping self-efficacy (CSE) and medial coping modes. This was a cross-sectional study which was conducted in nephrology departments of two affiliated hospitals of a comprehensive university in China. Convenience sampling was chosen to collect data. A total of 191 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis were recruited by convenience sampling in two hospitals. Data involved of sociodemographic and clinical materials, inner strength, CSE and medical coping modes were collected from the patients. IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 was used to process and analyse the data. The averaged score of inner strength was 95.74 (SD = 13.52). The inner strength, CSE and confrontation coping had positive associations with each other. Besides, inner strength and CSE was negatively associated with acceptance-resignation coping strategy, respectively.

Network Analysis of Pain Catastrophizing, Self-Efficacy, and Kinesiophobia Among Patients After Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Kinesiophobia is common in patients after total knee arthroplasty and is an important risk factor for post-operative recovery outcomes. Little is known about the complex intercorrelations between different components of pain catastrophizing, self-efficacy, and kinesiophobia. This study aimed to identify the central components of kinesiophobia and to explore the interconnectedness between components of pain catastrophizing, self-efficacy, and kinesiophobia. A total of 216 patients after total knee arthroplasty were recruited in this study. Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Self-efficacy of Rehabilitation Outcome Scale and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia were used to assess pain catastrophizing, self-efficacy and kinesiophobia. R software was used to visualize the networks and analyze the centrality of the networks. The index "strength" and "bridge expected influence" were employed to identify the central components and the bridge components of the networks. In the item network of kinesiophobia, three items ("Simply being careful that I do not make any unnecessary movements is the safest thing I can do to prevent my pain from worsening", "My accident has put my body at risk for the rest of my life", and "My body is telling me I have something dangerously wrong") had the highest strength centrality. In the pain catastrophizing/self-efficacy-kinesiophobia network, rumination had the highest positive bridge expected influence, while coping self-efficacy had the highest negative value. The three central components of kinesiophobia identified in this study, as well as two bridge variables (rumination and coping self-efficacy), could be promising and effective targets for prevention and intervention of kinesiophobia.

School Bullying, Bystander Behavior, and Mental Health among Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Coping Styles.

While numerous studies have revealed the impact of different bullying behaviors, such as victimization and perpetration, on the psychological development of adolescents, the exploration of the correlates of positive/negative bystander behaviors and their potential underlying mechanisms remains scarce in China. The present study aims to compare the relationships between mental health and positive versus negative bystander behavior and to clarify whether self-efficacy and coping styles mediate the relationships between mental health and bullying dynamics. The current study was conducted on 11,734 students from 18 secondary schools in Suzhou, China (Meanage = 15.00, SDage = 1.47; 53.8% boys). The information on bullying victimization, perpetration, positive/negative bystander behaviors, as well as self-efficacy, coping styles and mental health variables (including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, suicide risk), were collected. Negative bystander behavior was positively associated with mental health problems, while positive bystander behavior was negatively associated with these factors. Also, further analysis showed that coping styles and self-efficacy mediated the relationship between different bullying behaviors and mental health outcomes. The results highlighted the comparison of the correlates of positive and negative bystander behaviors, which were comparably crucial to those of victims and perpetrators for prevention and intervention efforts. Promoting adaptive coping styles and self-efficacy to buffer the deleterious psychological consequences of bullying behavior in adolescents was also important.

The linguistic and construct validity of the Malay version of the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES-My): Evidence from a sample of Malaysian parents of children with leukemia or lymphoma.

Parents of children with hematological cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma need to cope with stress related to their child's diagnosis. The Coping Self-Efficacy Scale is a widely used and validated tool to measure an individual's confidence in dealing with stressful situations. Appropriate translation and validation are needed to produce a localized language version suitable for Malaysian contexts. The study aimed to examine the linguistic and construct validity of the Malay version of the Coping Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES-My) among parents of children with hematological cancer. The CSES-My was created through a sequential series of steps, starting with the translation of the original English version, followed by cultural adaptation, and then cognitive interviewing. The 26-item CSES-My was self-administered in a sample of parents of children with leukemia and lymphoma from October 2021 until February 2022. They were recruited via online or face-to-face methods. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to examine the construct validity of the CSES-My. A total of 165 complete responses were analyzed. The scale has two factors, including Personal Coping and Social Coping, accounting for 58.3% of the variance. Personal Coping (19 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.958) represented the respondents' self-efficacy for independently executing coping strategies, whether through solving problems or changing the way they think about the situation. Social Coping (6 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.867) represented their confidence in executing coping strategies, which involved using social resources such as seeking external support, distraction, and avoiding loneliness. The CSES-My had reliable and valid psychometric properties, providing evidence for its utility in evaluating coping self-efficacy among parents of children with leukemia or lymphoma in Malaysia. The CSES-My is a valuable tool for nurses and other healthcare professionals investigating coping self-efficacy in Malay-speaking populations, and it may also aid in the development of future coping interventions.

Emotion regulation strategies and coping self-efficacy as moderators of daily associations between transgender and gender diverse (TGD) enacted stigma and affect among TGD young adults assigned female at birth

BackgroundEcological momentary assessment (EMA) studies have begun to establish links between sexual minority enacted stigma and anxious/depressed affect at the daily level. However, few of these studies have examined the effects of the unique stigma experienced by transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people. Further, the potential moderating roles of emotion regulation strategies (i.e., strategies used to up- or down-regulate emotions) and coping self-efficacy (i.e., individuals’ perceptions of their ability to cope effectively with stressors) have been neglected in EMA research on enacted stigma. MethodsThe current study aimed to extend this literature by examining the moderating roles of six emotion regulation strategies (i.e., reflection, reappraisal, rumination, expressive suppression, distraction, social sharing) and coping self-efficacy on concurrent and prospective associations between TGD enacted stigma and affect using EMA data from 115 sexual minority gender diverse individuals assigned female at birth. ResultsResults indicated that coping self-efficacy buffered prospective associations between TGD enacted stigma and anxious/depressed affect, while rumination exacerbated these effects. Some unexpected buffering effects were identified in concurrent associations between enacted stigma and negative affect, with suppression and distraction temporarily tempering this association. However, suppression also prospectively predicted increases in negative affect, suggesting that any benefit of this emotion regulation strategy is temporary. ConclusionsFindings highlight emotion regulation strategies that may be effective in reducing negative affect, identify coping self-efficacy as a promising buffer of effects of enacted stigma, and confirm emotion regulation strategies that may exacerbate effects of enacted stigma.

Measurement invariance of the Perceived Stress Scale across race, sex, and time, and differential impacts on cocaine use treatment outcomes

IntroductionTo understand the influence of phenotypic characteristics, such as stress, on substance use treatment outcomes, measures must function equivalently across groups to allow for interpretable comparisons of effects. The present study evaluated measurement invariance of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) across race, sex, and time, examined its association with cocaine use disorder (CUD) treatment outcomes, and tested whether associations were moderated by race and/or sex. MethodsData from four clinical trials evaluating behavioral and/or pharmacological treatments for cocaine use were combined providing a total sample of 302 participants with DSM-IV cocaine abuse/dependence (57.6 % Black, 42.4 % White, 43.7 % females, Mage = 40.22 years, SD = 9.26). ResultsFactor analyses support a two-factor model (i.e., general stress, self-efficacy to cope with stressors) that demonstrated configural, metric, and scalar invariance across race and sex and configural and metric invariance across time. End-of-treatment stress and coping were both related to treatment outcomes, but not treatment retention. Interactions between baseline and end-of-treatment stress and coping self-efficacy with race and sex predicting treatment retention and outcomes were not significant. ConclusionsResults support the utility of the PSS to examine between-group differences among individuals with CUD and suggest that sociodemographic groups differ in the extent to which stress and self-efficacy to cope influence treatment outcomes.

Establishing a Cutoff Score for the Healing after Gender-based Violence Scale (GBV-Heal): A Brief Report

Abstract Purpose To evaluate a cutoff score for the Healing after Gender-based Violence Scale (GBV-Heal)—an instrument to assess recovery progress for survivors of GBV. Methods We surveyed 321 women-identifying GBV survivors living in the Midwestern United States from April to December 2022 to evaluate their mental health symptom burden, trauma coping self-efficacy, sense of meaning, healing progress, and recovery stage. We used Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis to determine the best cutoff score for the GBV-Heal. Results We found a cutoff point of 64 for the GBV-Heal. Those above this cutoff point were found to have significantly lower PTSD and depression symptoms and significantly higher trauma coping self-efficacy and sense of meaning compared to those below the cutoff point. Conclusions The GBV-Heal cutoff score can help practitioners recognize survivors needing additional support or resources as they navigate their healing journey. The use of this scale can promote tailored care for survivors seeking healing support in a variety of public health sectors.