Dispositional Resilience Research Articles

The Resilient Spouse: Understanding Factors Associated With Dispositional Resilience Among Military Spouses

Spouses of soldiers face several unique challenges due to the demands of being in the military, such as frequent moves, and multiple family separations due to trainings and deployments. Although the military has several programs targeted to enhance spouse resilience, no research has examined the characteristics associated with dispositional (trait) resilience in military spouses or the extent to which trait resilience predicts health outcomes. Anonymous, cross-sectional survey data were collected from a sample of military spouses (n = 333) as part of the Land Combat Study. Survey items asked about dispositional resilience, mental health and well-being, as well as other psychosocial and demographic factors potentially associated with resilience. Characteristics associated with higher resilience included having more children, being a nonminority, social support, less work–family conflict, and better soldier mental health. Trait resilience also predicted several health outcomes including general psychological distress, relationship functioning, sleep quality, and overall health. Notably, the number of soldier deployments was not associated with resilience. Findings suggest these factors are important to the resilience of military spouses and can be used direct future resilience training efforts towards factors that most affect resilience among the population.

Physical Fitness and Psychological Hardiness as Predictors of Parasympathetic Control in Response to Stress: a Norwegian Police Simulator Training Study

The individual biopsychological response to a specific stressor is the result of a complex interplay between many different factors including physiology, behavior, and personality. The goal of the present study was to explore the potential link between physical fitness, hardiness (Kobasa 1979), and the individual autonomic stress arousal experienced during a stressful police training situation (active shooter). Eighty-four police students participated in the study and were randomly assigned to either a high-stress or a low-stress testing condition. Hardiness was measured with the Dispositional Resilience Scale (Hystad et al. 2010). Physical fitness was assessed with $$ \dot{\mathrm{V}}{\mathrm{O}}_{2\max } $$ . Parasympathetic control was measured using heart rate variability (HRV), i.e., the root mean square successive difference (RMSSD). Regression analysis showed that psychological hardiness had a negative main effect on change in parasympathetic activity from baseline to the testing phase (B = − 1.43, t = − 2.81, p = 0.007). Larger withdrawal of parasympathetic activation for high-hardy individuals in this phase of the study can be interpreted as an adaptive adjustment to the task set in front of them. A second regression analysis showed that both psychological hardiness (B = − 1.47, t = 3.68, p < 0.001) and physical fitness (B = 0.89, t = 2.85, p = 0.006) had significant main effects on change of parasympathetic activity entering the recovery phase of the study. Both regression coefficients were positive, with higher scores on hardiness and physical fitness predicting greater parasympathetic activation at stress offset. Overall, the results suggest that psychological hardiness and physical fitness may be important factors in how operational stress affects the individual in a police setting. Those high in hardiness and good physical form seem to be better able to recuperate and reset after a stressful incident, something that can be vital in an operational context. These results will be discussed in relation to the existing literature in the field.

Dispositional resilience in treatment-seeking patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and its association with treatment outcome.

There is a lack of research on the relation between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and resilience. Dispositional resilience, as described and defined in literature on hardiness, consists of three facets, namely beliefs about having control in everyday living, having a sense of purpose or commitment, and a positive attitude toward challenges. This study explores associations between dispositional resilience (measured with the Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS-15-R)), symptom severity, and treatment outcome in a sample of 89 patients treated with concentrated exposure therapy (cET), and compares the findings with scores from two reference groups (students and soldiers). The patient group had significantly lower resilience scores than the two reference groups. Weak correlations were observed between dispositional resilience and OCD symptoms. Differences in dispositional resilience were weakly related to remission status at follow-up (odds ratio of 1.11). Furthermore, resilience improved from pre- to post-treatment (Cohen's d of 0.65). Our results imply that patients' initial resilience score does not hinder nor facilitate treatment effects to a great extent in this format of ERP treatment.

Executive function, dispositional resilience, and cognitive engagement in Latinx children of migrant farmworkers

Children from Latinx migrant farmworker (LMFW) families are one of the most educationally disenfranchised and marginalized student populations in the United States. They experience significant contextual risks and stressors which are linked to poor adjustment as well as lower academic engagement and success. Given that LMFW children are understudied, especially likely to experience substantial adversity, and are a vulnerable student population, it is imperative for researchers to examine factors that contribute to their well-being and school success. In the present study, we assessed whether behavioral tasks of executive function contributed to resilience and academic mastery/efficacy in LMFW children (N = 66, mean age = 12.79, 55% male). Results found associations between executive function tasks and dispositional resilience; however, executive function was not directly associated with academic mastery/efficacy. Dispositional resilience was significantly positively associated with academic mastery/efficacy. These findings suggest that it may be critically important for organizations working with LMFW children to foster and boost children's executive function skills. Additional research mitigating adversity and promoting the academic success and engagement of LMFW children is needed.

Identifying Predictors of Stress and Job Satisfaction in a Sample of Merchant Seafarers Using Structural Equation Modeling.

Background: Seafarers are amongst occupational groups with the highest risk for stress, a factor known to impact on mental health. Psychological issues such as depression, anxiety, suicide, and alcohol or drug dependence are recognized health problems within the maritime sector. The primary aim of this study was to identify which individual and occupational factors, known to impact on psychological functioning across the maritime industry and other sectors, best predict perceived stress and job satisfaction among a sample of merchant seafarers.Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using a work experiences and attitudes questionnaire administered by a large shipping company to seafarers within their organization. Structural equation modeling was conducted using a proposed theoretical model of perceived stress and job satisfaction in a sample of merchant seafarers.Results: While the structural equation model produced acceptable fit to the sample data according to numerous goodness-of-fit statistics, the comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index results indicated less than satisfactory model fit. The model explained 23.8% of variance in the criterion variable of perceived stress, and the strongest predictive effect was for dispositional resilience. The model explained 70.6% of variance in the criterion variable of job satisfaction, and the strongest predictive effect was for instrumental work support.Conclusion: When addressing the psychosocial well-being of merchant seafarers, findings of this study suggest that dispositional resilience may be a particularly important factor with regards to perceived stress, while instrumental work support appears to be a critical factor in relation to job satisfaction. Importantly, however, an overall work environment that is perceived by employees as supportive, equal and just is a cornerstone for the psychosocial well-being of seafarers.

School-based mindfulness intervention supports adolescent resiliency: A randomized controlled pilot study

ABSTRACTThis research evaluated the effects of a seven-session mindfulness intervention, Learning to BREATHE, on an ethnically diverse at-risk high school student sample. Two classrooms were randomly assigned to intervention or normal health-education programming. Results indicated significant effects to self-reported psychosocial resilience, with students receiving the intervention reporting stable levels of resilience over time and students in the control condition reporting significant reductions. Intervention groups did not evidence change to self-reported psychosocial problem behavior, school attendance, and quarterly academic grades. Findings suggest that MBI may offer an effective strategy for enhancing student dispositional resilience, and suggestions for further research are offered.

Team Resilience Training in the Workplace: E-Learning Adaptation, Measurement Model, and Two Pilot Studies.

BackgroundThe majority of resilience interventions focus on the individual. Workplace resilience is a growing field of research. Given the ever-increasing interconnectedness in businesses, teamwork is a guarantee. There is also growing recognition that resilience functions at the team level.ObjectiveThe objective of our work was to address three shortcomings in the study of workplace resilience interventions: lack of interventions focusing on group-level or team resilience, the need for brief interventions, and the need for more theoretical precision in intervention studies.MethodsThe authors took an established evidence-based program (Team Resilience) and modified it based on these needs. A working model for brief intervention evaluation distinguishes outcomes that are proximal (perceptions that the program improved resilience) and distal (dispositional resilience). A total of 7 hypotheses tested the model and program efficacy.ResultsTwo samples (n=118 and n=181) of engineering firms received the Web-based training and provided immediate reactions in a posttest-only design. The second sample also included a control condition (n=201). The findings support the model and program efficacy. For example, workplace resilience was greater in the intervention group than in the control group. Other findings suggest social dissemination effects, equal outcomes for employees at different stress levels, and greater benefit for females.ConclusionsThis preliminary research provides evidence for the capabilities of e-learning modules to effectively promote workplace resilience and a working model of team resilience.

The Relationship Among Resilience, Personality, Anxiety and Fitness in Recruit Firefighters

Resilience (R), the ability to adapt to and rebound from adversity, has been linked to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) susceptibility and to buffer against stressful events. Fitness has also been related to psychological health, thus it is of interest to examine whether R is related to personality and anxiety, as well as indices of fitness in firefighters (FFs), a group exposed to various stressors. PURPOSE: Examine R, personality, anxiety and fitness among recruit FFs. METHODS: Recruit FFs (N=145 males, 26.4±4.0 yrs, BMI=27.1±4.5) entering a 6-week FF training academy completed individual difference measures [e.g., Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS-15), Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI; 32.3±8.0), International Personality Item Pool 50 (IPIP-50)]. The DRS-15 provided a Total score (49.5±4.8) and subscores for Challenge (Ch: 13.9±2.4), Commitment (Cm: 17.6±2.1), and Control (Cl: 18.0±2.0). The 5 personality dimensions of Extraversion (E: 33.9±7.0), Emotional Stability (ES: 39.3±6.6), Conscientiousness (C: 38.8±4.7), Openness (O: 36.1±5.4), and Agreeableness (A: 40.0±5.2) were derived from the IPIP-50. RESULTS: Only C was associated with aerobic capacity (r= 0.20); no other fitness relationships were found. Significant (P<0.005) relationships were found between total R and TAI (r= -0.57) along with the personality dimensions of ES (r= 0.46), A (r= 0.38), O (r= 0.35), C (r= 0.35), and E (r= 0.24). Of the R subscales, Cm had the most consistent and strongest relationships with personality (rs= 0.30 - 0.57). CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the relationship between R (especially sense of Commitment) and personality, but not fitness, in these FFs. Including the relationship between anxiety and personality, levels of resilience may influence susceptibility to PTSD (i.e., interpretation of stressful events), symptom severity of PTSD, and recovery from PTSD. With respect to traumatic experiences encountered during firefighting, these relationships may aid in understanding how FFs handle stress.

Culturally derived leadership qualities: Dispositional resilience among societies

An investigation of dispositional resilience in cultures and its relation to leader effectiveness is presented with an introduction on the study’s research problem, research question, dispositional resilience theory, differing dimensions of cultural and society, theoretical foundations of the variables through a definition of terms, literature review, a discussion of research methods and instruments, future analysis implications, and the author’s conclusions. The research purpose examines the levels of dispositional resilience characteristics in various cultures and how those characteristics affect leader effectiveness. Data analysis is conducted following a review of four studies with three studies having investigated the relationship of dispositional resilience on practitioner performance and stress levels. These studies reveal the Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS) as a valid and reliable instrument for measuring individual dispositional resilience (hardiness and resilience) and the GLOBE Study as valid and reliable frameworks for researching different cultures. Research, using One-Way ANOVA technique, determined a statistically significant difference of Confucian country cluster students compared with Latin American and Latin European country cluster students. Implications for future research are discussed.

Resilience in Elders of the Sardinian Blue Zone: An Explorative Study

Background: older adults from the Sardinian Blue Zone self-report low depressive symptoms and high psychological well-being. However, the role of dispositional resilience as a determinant of these characteristics is unknown. Objectives: the current study had three aims. First, to investigate associations among several putative predictors, including dispositional resilience and three established markers of positive and negative mental health. Second, to determine if gender differences in dispositional resilience, independent of age and cognitive impairment, are present in this population. Third, to examine the relative importance of the predictors of self-reported mental health and well-being. Methods: 160 elders were recruited in the Sardinian Blue Zone. The participants completed self-report measures of dispositional resilience, satisfaction with social ties, physical health, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being. Results: trait resilience was significantly associated with predictors and markers of mental health. Males had significantly greater trait resilience. In regression analyses, dispositional resilience and satisfaction with social ties were significant predictors of all markers of mental health. Other factors were significantly associated only with certain markers. Conclusions: trait resilience and strong social ties appear to be key determinants of the high mental health of Sardinian Blue Zone older adults.

Burnout amongst Nurses in Cancer Wards: Impact of Nursing Professionalism, Perfectionism, and Resilience

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship among nursing professionalism, perfectionism, resilience, and burnout, amongst nurses in cancer wards, and to further identify factors influencing burnout. Methods: Conducted in June 2018, this descriptive cross-sectional study included 157 cancer wards nurses. The survey employed structured questionnaires including the Koreannursing Professional Value Scale, Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Dispositional Resilience Scale-15, and burnout subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and entered multiple regression. Results: The total burnout score was 31.20±4.87, out of a maximum of 50. Nursing professionalism (r =-.40, p<.001) and resilience (r=-.68, p<.001) showed a negative correlation with burnout, while sociallyoriented perfectionism showed a positive correlation with burnout (r=.19, p=.016). Entered multiple regression revealed that 49.3% of the total variance in burnout was the consequence of nursing professionalism and resilience. Conclusion: Resilience had the largest effect on burnout, followed by nursing professionalism. We believe that the results of this study provide basic data for developing nursing intervention programs aimed at reducing burnout amongst nurses in cancer wards.

The Level and Dimensions of Resilience of Trainee Teachers at Teacher Education Institute of Malaysia

Resilience is one of the important aspects that can improve a person's ability to handle stress and adapt to a situation. Resilience brings many advantages, especially for the students at the Teacher Education Institute (TEI) and the Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in particular to improve academic achievement and personal skills. However, there were not many studies done on resilience in Malaysia. This research is conducted to identify the resilience level and dimension among trainee teachers and their differences based on gender. The respondents consist of 172 semester eight students and this study uses purposive random sampling. This study used the Dispositional Resilience Scale Questionnaires to answer the research questions. The results showed that the overall mean score of resilience is at high level. Apart from that, the findings also showed that respondents have moderate level of dimension of control and challenge than the dimensions of commitment which is at moderate level. The findings also found that there were significant differences according to gender. This study has implications on the teacher training and also teaching and learning methods practiced in the TEI in order to develop the attitude of perseverance among future teachers towards the quality of novice teachers.

Study of Psychological Resilience among Health Care Professionals, in Ibn Sina Hospital/Rabat/Morocco

Psychological resilience is the ability to maintain personal and professional wellbeing in the face of on-going work stress and adversity. The aim is to investigate the state of the psychological resilience of Health Care Professionals (HCP) and the potential risk factors. The study that we conducted carries out a sample of 230 persons (150 nurses and 80 doctors) belonging to the different services of Ibn Sina Hospital of Rabat/Morocco, using two scales. One is a questionnaire containing most of the socio-demographic characteristics, and clinical characteristics. The second is the Dispositional Resilience Scale-15 (DRS15). Otherwise, our results indicate a relatively low rate of resilience of health staff practicing at Ibn Sina Hospital in Rabat/Morocco. 81% of HCP have “low resilience”, 16% have shown “moderate resilience” and only 3% are in the “good resilience” range, based on analyzes of resilience scale results DSR15. The results of the DRS15 validation study indicate a positive correlation between engagement, control and challenge, as well as improved inter and intra-item correlation. Our study also indicates a statistically significant relationship between resilience and socio-economic difficulties of HCP. Sex, marital status, seniority, work schedule and medical history are risk factors. Indeed, women are more resilient than men, single people are more vulnerable than married couples, and new recruits are less resistant than older ones. In addition, the 12/36 continuous work schedule has a protective factor for HCP. These results go in the same direction as those found by some studies. Thus, the results of our study are encouraging and can be used for decision-making in this case.

Reliability and validity of the Korean version of the 15-item Dispositional Resilience Scale

This study assessed the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the 15-item Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS-15) in a sample of Korean adults. In a baseline study conducted in June 2015, the DRS-15, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), and Korean Resilience Questionnaire-53 (KRQ-53) were administered to 409 Korean adults aged 20–79 years. A 1-year follow-up study was conducted in June 2016, and the CES-D was administered to assess predictive validity. Confirmatory factor analysis identified three dimensions for the DRS-15: commitment, control, and challenge (χ2/df = 2.32, GFI = .90, AGFI = .88, RMR = .04, TLI = .91, NFI = .89, and RMSEA = .05), and concurrent and predictive validity were demonstrated via the CES-D and KRQ-53. Furthermore, the DRS-15 established known-group validity. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for internal consistency reliability of the three subscales ranged from .75 to .83. Three-week test-retest reliability coefficients ranged from .80 to .81. The KDRS-15 showed satisfactory construct and criterion validity and internal consistency.

Ejercicio físico y aspectos psicosociales y emocionales en mujeres con cáncer de mama

El cáncer de mama es una de las tipologías de cáncer más frecuente en España. La mayoría de los estudios en Psicooncología se centran en el abordaje de la psicopatología commorbida, como la ansiedad y la depresión. Varios autores han informado de relación entre variables como el optimismo disposicional y la resiliencia, respecto al bienestar psicológico y subjetivo en estas pacientes. La práctica del ejercicio físico parece mejorar ciertas variables relacionadas con el estado de ánimo, pudiendo ser relevante en el logro de una adecuada salud emocional. Sobre la base de estas evidencias, nos proponemos explorar si la mujeres en tratamiento adyuvante por cáncer de mama realizan menos ejercicio que otras mujeres sin esta patología, así como la existencia de posibles agrupaciones naturales o conglomerados que nos permitan diferenciar, si dentro de estas mujeres, encontramos diversas tipologías en relación a sus niveles psicológicos percibidos de calidad de vida (ansiedad, depresión , satisfacción con la vida, optimismo disposicional y resiliencia). Para ello, se administró una entrevista semiestructurada de elaboración propia, donde se recogían, además de los datos sociodemográficos, si realizaban ejercicio físico y frecuencia con que lo realizaban, así como los cuestionarios empleados para evaluar la ansiedad estado/rasgo (STAI E/R), depresión (BDI), satisfacción con la vida (SWL), optimismos disposicional (LOT-R) y resiliencia, a una muestra de 60 mujeres, 30 de las cuales estaban siendo atendidas por la Unidad de Oncología del Hospital de Jerez de la Frontera, por estar recibiendo tratamiento para el cáncer de mama. Los resultados indican que las mujeres con cáncer de mama que realizan ejercicio físico, presentan menores niveles de ansiedad y depresión y mayores de satisfacción con la vida, optimismo disposicional y resiliencia.

Prevalence of illness, poor mental health and sleep quality and low energy availability prior to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games

ObjectiveEstablish the prevalence of illness symptoms, poor sleep quality, poor mental health symptoms, low energy availability and stress-recovery state in an Olympic cohort late in the 3 months prior to...

Resilience in the U.S. Air Force: A Factor Analysis of Two Resilience Scales

ABSTRACTResilience among military populations is critical to symptom prevention and research. The authors examine the factor structure of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Dispositional Resilience Scale used to measure resilience and hardiness among U.S. Airmen. Data for this study comes from the 2013 Community Assessment Survey (N = 45,634). The sample was randomly divided into exploratory (n = 22,693) and confirmatory (n = 22,941) factor analyses subsets, subsequently used to test the factor structure of each scale. Neither instrument fully performed as anticipated according to the literature, suggesting the need for additional research into the unique challenges of accurately measuring resilience and hardiness among U.S. Airmen.

Psychological Hardiness among College Students

The aim of the present study was to know the differences of gender on psychological hardiness among college students. The random sampling method was used in this study. The total sample consisted of 240 subjects out of which 120 were boys and 120 were girls. Students were from the various colleges of Rajkot District. Dispositional Resilience Scale (DRS) developed by Bartone (1995), Bartone et al., (1989) used to measure psychological hardiness. The data were analyzed using t-test. The result showed that there is significant gender difference on psychological hardiness among college students.

Hardiness Mediates Stress and Impact Level in ED Nurses Who Experienced a Violent Event

This secondary analysis examined the mediating effect of hardiness between stress and impact level in ED nurses who experienced a violent event. This correlational study was conducted from June to August 2014. We used the visual analog scale to measure stress level, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised to measure impact level after the violent event, and the Dispositional Resilience Scale to measure hardiness. We then analyzed mediating effects with the Sobel test. Data were collected in 31 emergency medical centers located in B city in Korea. Data from 321 ED nurses who experienced a violent event were analyzed. Most nurses (91.9%) were women, with a mean age of 28.73 years. The main outcome measure was the mediating effect of hardiness between stress and impact level after ED nurses experienced violence. We found that both violence-related stress (B = 0.22, P < .001) and hardiness (B = -0.33, P = .037) were significant predictors of impact level from a violent event. Based on results of a Sobel test, hardiness partially mediated the relationship between violence-related stress and impact level from a violent event (Z = 2.03, P = .044). Hardiness had an effect on reducing the impact level of ED nurses who had experienced a violent event and had a mediating role in mitigating their stress. Therefore, we recommend the development of an intervention program that emphasizes the improvement of hardiness in ED nurses.

LONG-DISTANCE TRUCK DRIVERS COPING STRATEGIES AND HARDINESS: SELF-ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE AND IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST

The activity efficiency of long-distance truck drivers is determined not only by professional knowledge and skills, but also the psychological features, such as hardiness and coping strategies to cope with stress. The relationship between coping strategies and hardiness measured with implicit methods has not been studied enough. The research aim is to study the relationship of hardiness measured by the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and self-assessment procedures with coping strategies among long-distance truck drivers. Research questions focused on the study of this relationship. Participants: 40 males, long-distance truck drivers, M=29.6, SD=6.9 years. Implicit method: Four experimental procedures of the IAT on the basis of two-categories were developed (IAT1 - Commitment, IAT2 - Control, IAT3 - Challenge, IAT4 - Hardiness). Explicit methods: "Dispositional Resilience Scale, DRS-15" (Bartone), Strategic Approach to the Coping Scale (Hobfoll). Positive and negative implicit effects for assessments of Hardiness, Control and Challenge were revealed. The greatest number of negative effects found in Challenge. The regression equation for the dependent variable Hardiness (implicit) contains predictors Control and Commitment, measured by the IAT. There is a difference in the relationship between coping strategies and implicitly and explicitly measured hardiness and its components.