Ineffective Coping Strategies Research Articles

Emotional Dysregulation, Anger, and Masculinity in Men Who Have Experienced Lifetime Sexual Violence.

Many men experience strong negative emotions and a "diminished masculinity" following sexual victimization. These men may be more willing to express anger, rather than more vulnerable emotions (e.g., shame), in an attempt to maintain their masculinity. However, increased expression of anger among men is linked to other negative outcomes such as increased substance abuse (Eftekhari et al., 2004), suggesting that anger is an ineffective coping strategy for distress. Compared to women, men are understudied in the sexual violence literature. Studies that have been conducted have focused primarily on child sexual abuse, adult males in prison, or military sexual violence samples. Few studies have investigated men's sexual abuse across their lifetime. This study intended to fill this gap by investigating sexual violence against men across the lifespan. The goal of the current study was to examine how conformity to masculine norms and emotional dysregulation influence the relationship between lifetime sexual violence (LSV) and anger. We hypothesized that the relation between LSV and anger would be mediated by conformity to masculine norms and emotion dysregulation. Data were collected from 532 community and 185 college men. Participants completed measures focused on childhood maltreatment, adult sexual victimization, masculinity, anger, and emotion dysregulation. Two hundred and one (27.1%) men reported LSV experiences. Results suggest men with LSV reported significantly higher scores on conformity to masculine norms, anger, and emotion dysregulation. Regression analyses revealed that LSV directly predicted increased conformity to masculine norms, emotion dysregulation, and anger. Additionally, the indirect effects of emotion dysregulation and masculinity were significant. Findings indicate trauma interventions need to target masculine ideology and emotion dysregulation to help reduce anger as a traditionally acceptable emotional outlet for men.

The Relationship Between Mental Health and Coping Strategies in Primary Caregivers of ADHD Patients

Taking care of a child with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to emotional problems. However, using effective coping strategies positively impact the mental health of caregivers for children with ADHD. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between ADHD caregivers’ coping strategies and their mental health. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 84 caregivers of ADHD children. The Coping Response Inventory and the General Health Questionnaire were completed by them. In the caregivers studied, emotion-focused coping’s score was positively correlated with somatic symptoms ( r = .45, p < .001), anxiety and insomnia ( r = .52, p < .001), social dysfunction ( r = .27, p < .05), and depression ( r = .49, p < .001). Similarly, physical inhibition or somatization of problem’s score was positively correlated with somatic symptoms ( r = .66, p < .001), anxiety and insomnia ( r = .54, p < .001), social dysfunction ( r = .32, p < .01), and depression ( r = .36, p < .001). Our findings indicate that ineffective coping strategies can potentially increase mental health problems in caregivers of children with ADHD.

Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies among Adolescent Girls on Pubertal Changes in a Selected Schools, Mangaluru

Abstract Background Adolescence represents a pivotal stage marked by various physical, psychological-emotional, and social transformations. Among these changes, puberty stands out as a significant characterized by hormonal shifts, physical alterations, and emotional fluctuations. Objectives The present study was aimed to assess perceived stress and coping strategies and find the relationship among adolescent girls on pubertal changes in a selected school in Mangaluru. Materials and Methods The study adopted the descriptive survey design among 205 adolescent girls recruited by using convenient sampling technique. Data were collected using self-developed stress rating scale and standardized brief-COPE. Results The study findings showed that the majority of the adolescent girls attained menarche at the age of 12 to 13 years and 72.7% of the adolescent girls perceived less level of stress, while 98% of the adolescent girls employed ineffective coping strategies on pubertal changes. The study findings also found that there was a moderate positive correlation between perceived stress and coping strategies (r = 0.480) among adolescent girls on pubertal changes. Conclusion The study concluded that adolescent girls have less stress on pubertal changes and employ ineffective coping strategies during pubertal changes.

A Qualitative Exploration on Psychological Stressors and Coping Mechanisms in Medical Laboratory Personnel

Healthcare professionals, particularly those working in high-stress environments like hospitals, are frequently exposed to significant psychological challenges. This study explores the psychological stressors and coping mechanisms of medical laboratory personnel at the People's Hospital of Keyouqianqi, Inner Mongolia, China. Using a qualitative research design, data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 participants, focusing on their experiences of stress and the strategies they use to manage it. The findings reveal that the most significant stressors include high workloads, time pressure, the responsibility for diagnostic accuracy, and interpersonal conflicts within the workplace. Additionally, personal and social stressors, such as balancing work with family responsibilities, further compounded their stress levels. Participants employed a variety of coping mechanisms, both problem-focused and emotion-focused, with effective strategies including building strong professional relationships, engaging in physical activities, and practicing mindfulness. However, some participants resorted to ineffective coping strategies, such as avoidance behaviors and unhealthy habits, which often exacerbated their stress. This study highlights the complex interplay between individual coping strategies and the cultural and institutional context in which these professionals operate. The findings have important implications for practice and policy, offering insights into how healthcare institutions can better support the mental health and well-being of their staff.

Стресс и стратегии совладания у студенческой молодежи: обзор исследований

<p>Global socio-economic crises, new pandemics, climate disasters, and other large-scale factors create an unfavorable background for humanity, often involving painful processes that lead to significant changes in personality and the social situation of development. Students, as they navigate personal and professional development during their university education, determine their life prospects and societal roles for many years to come. A normative age crisis, combined with everyday and global stresses, can lead to adverse consequences such as high anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, other emotional and behavioral problems, and social maladjustment. The issue of coping strategies that help students effectively manage stress becomes increasingly relevant. The review included 75 full-text Russian and English papers, mainly from 2019–2024, sourced from bibliographic databases such as Elibrary, Google Scholar, and PubMed. The analysis included articles where the participants were aged 17–25, primarily students. The analysis of theoretical and empirical studies allowed us to systematize the types of students' stressors and the specifics of coping strategies. It is important to distinguish whether coping is a response to a specific stressor (situational coping) or if its use is related to an individual's personality traits (dispositional coping). Additionally, it is informative to consider socio-demographic characteristics such as the gender of participants, year, and field of education, which help to identify additional factors associated with the use of different coping strategies. The choice of effective or ineffective coping strategies is characterized by different relationships between stress, existing emotional problems (such as anxiety and depression), and mental toughness (adaptive resource). Thus, a scientifically based approach to effective coping strategies for students, with detailed consideration of perceived stress, mental toughness, the level of emotional problems, and demographic factors, can be considered the most relevant theoretical model.</p>

Exploring the Role of Attachment and Coping Strategies in Sexual Orientation Disparities in Depressive Symptoms

ABSTRACT We tested whether sexual orientation disparities in depressive symptoms are partially explained by a path through attachment anxiety or avoidance leading to ineffective coping strategies. A convenience sample of 1290 individuals from two reliable data collection platforms (Credamo and Wenjuanxing) in China were included. Structural equation modeling was performed, with sexual orientation treated as the independent variable, ineffective coping strategies, attachment avoidance and anxiety as mediators, and depressive symptoms as the dependent variable. We found that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals reported higher levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance than heterosexual individuals, regardless of sex, with Cohen’s ds ranging from 0.25 to 0.76. For both sexes, LGB individuals reported more depressive symptoms than heterosexual individuals, with total effects (standardized regression coefficients) ranging from 0.22 to 0.26. More depressive symptoms reported by LGB individuals compared to heterosexual individuals were partially explained by a path involving attachment avoidance or anxiety leading to ineffective coping strategies, with indirect effects ranging from 0.04 to 0.09 (small effect sizes). Overall, our results suggest that psychological factors, such as the cognitive or emotional representations of self and others, as well as ineffective coping strategies, may partially explain sexual orientation disparities in depressive symptoms.

Coping with emotional pain: An experimental comparison of acceptance vs. avoidance coping

The present study compared multi-methodically and multi-dimensionally the effects of acceptance and avoidance coping with emotional pain, both between and within-group. Convenience sampling was used, with 88 participants included (81.8% females; Mage = 21.75 years) and being randomly assigned to one of two instructed groups: (a) Acceptance followed by avoidance of pain sensations and thoughts, and (b) Avoidance followed by acceptance. All participants underwent an emotional pain induction procedure three times involving negative autobiographical recall and an emotional-pain standardized script. In the first emotion induction, no instructions were given whereas in the other two, participants were instructed to use the techniques they were trained in. On both autobiographical and emotional-pain script tasks, participants who used firstly avoidance and secondly acceptance exhibited significantly lower mean heart rate and higher mean heart rate variability RR index across time. Also, in the last emotional pain induction, on both tasks, acceptance resulted in lower physiological activation than avoidance. No significant differences were found for the self-report of negative affect. Overall, acceptance vs. avoidance differences were mostly found in the physiological outcomes, suggesting the importance of including objective measures when examining coping techniques. Our findings suggest that ACT's concept of creative hopelessness is supported, as participants may have to use firstly use ineffective coping strategies to better understand what methods are most effective for managing pain. To our knowledge, this study is the first study to compare acceptance vs. avoidance coping with emotional pain both between and within-group, using a multi-method and multi-dimensional approach.

Predictors of treatment outcomes. Patients with persistent physical symptoms in primary care.

Persistent physical symptoms (PSS) are consistently prevalent among primary care patients. PSS can negatively affect quality of life, healthcare costs, and work participation. To examine predictors of treatment outcome in patients with who received treatment by a work-focused communication tool known as the Individual Challenge Inventory Tool (ICIT) delivered by the patient's general practitioner. In a previous study we found substantially improved outcomes and reduced sick leave for patients treated by the work-focused communication tool ICIT compared to a control group. This study is based on the findings of our previous cluster randomised controlled trial. Regression analyses of the intervention group were used to identify predictors (all measured at baseline) of improvements in Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) and sick leave after 11 weeks follow up. Living alone predicted improvement in the adjusted model (OR =4·03, 95% CI: 1·33-12·25, P=0·014). Receiving long term benefits predicted improved PGIC in both the unadjusted (OR =2·30, 95% CI: 1·21-4·39, P=0·011) and adjusted models (OR =2·46, 95% CI: 1·04-5·83, P=0·040). In addition, living alone predicted reduced sick leave in the adjusted model (OR =3·23, 95% CI: 1·11-9·42, P=0·032. In general, there were few factors to predict the outcome of the work-focused communication tool ICIT. We therefore suggest that this work-focused communication tool ICIT is applicable to most patients with PPS. GPs may consider using the ICIT for all primary care patients who exhibit ineffective coping strategies in their daily lives and work, especially those who live alone.

The Ripple Effect: Quality of Life and Mental Health of Parents of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition in children in Saudi Arabia. ADHD significantly impacts children and their families, particularly by increasing parental stress and diminishing quality of life. In Saudi Arabia, there is a research gap regarding the quality of life and coping mechanisms of parents managing children with ADHD. This study assesses levels of depression and anxiety, quality of life, and coping strategies among parents of children diagnosed with ADHD. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 151 parents of ADHD-diagnosed children, utilizing the WHOQOL-Brief for life quality, the Brief-COPE for coping strategies, and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) for depression (PHQ9-9 items) and generalized anxiety (GAD7-7 items) modules. Among the parents surveyed, 36% reported moderate to severe depression, while 39.1% experienced moderate to high anxiety levels. Quality of life was significantly positively correlated with higher household monthly income (HHI), employment status, sibling count, and effective coping strategies. Conversely, a parent's age, educational level, and, in particular, maternal status were inversely related to anxiety levels, with fathers displaying higher maladaptive coping scores. This study sheds light on the considerable anxiety and depression experienced by parents of children with ADHD, significantly affecting their quality of life. Lower quality of life among parents is associated with high levels of depression, anxiety, and ineffective coping strategies. These insights highlight the critical need for interventions to aid parental mental health, thereby improving their overall quality of life amidst ADHD challenges.

“Why can't I say people's names?” Alexinomia as a widespread psychological phenomenon

Psychological research has recently proposed alexinomia, characterised by an inhibited behaviour in saying names, as a distinct psychosocial phenomenon. Alexinomia is associated with anxiety and avoidance behaviours with regards to saying names and thus severely impacts every day social interactions and relationships. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of this newly established and poorly understood psychological phenomenon and to further determine its impact on everyday life. For this purpose, online advice and discussion forums were systematically searched for threads on and mentions of problems with saying names. We analysed a broad dataset from English-language comments discussing alexinomia-related experiences and behaviours, inclusive of varied demographics and geographical regions. The findings based on the qualitative analysis of 257 unique sources show that alexinomia is a widespread phenomenon. Moreover, the analysed online materials showed affected individual's use of a variety of effective and ineffective coping strategies and experience varying degrees of severity, which can potentially diminish with training. The study's results therefore highlight alexinomia as a relevant, yet highly under researched, field of study, and add to our knowledge on the experience of alexinomia in everyday life and its potential origins, especially relating to social anxiety and early-life familial dynamic.

Coping strategies in mothers of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: latent profile analysis

Objectives Mothers of children with autism and children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder employ distinct coping strategies when confronted with stressful situations related to the parenting process. The current study aimed to identify distinct coping profiles among mothers, based on four indicators: problem-focused coping, active avoidance coping, positive coping, and religious/denial coping. The second objective was to examine the differences between the identified profiles in terms of the mother and children’s outcomes. Methods Participants were 90 mothers of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Latent profile analysis revealed three coping profiles based on different coping strategies: ‘Adaptative coping’ (42.22%), ‘Avoidance coping’ (40%), and ‘Low coping’ (17.77%). Results The ‘Low coping’ profile showed more dysfunctionality than the others and it evidenced significant differences with the other two profiles on parenting stress, social support and children social, behavioral and sleep problems. Conclusions The findings emphasize the importance of exploring coping skills employed by mothers of children with these neurodevelopmental disorders and developing interventions for those who adopt ineffective coping strategies.

Metacognitive strategies mediate the association between metacognitive beliefs and perceived quality of life.

Quality of life may be understood as a multidimensional evaluation of life circumstances in relation to values, expectations, and perceived well-being. Quality of life is thus dependent on the subjective perception of the current life situation, not only objective circumstances. According to metacognitive theory, metacognition guides the appraisal of inner experiences (i.e., thoughts and feelings) and influences how one relates to external stressors. Hence, dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and the cognitive attentional syndrome (CAS), which includes perseverative thinking, threat monitoring and ineffective coping strategies, may negatively influence subjective quality of life. Therefore, we aimed to investigate if metacognitive beliefs and CAS strategies were associated with quality of life. A sample of 503 participants (77.1% women, mean age 41.0, SD = 11.5) completed the metacognitions questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30), the CAS-1 and the quality of life scale (QOLS). We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to estimate associations between the variables founded in metacognitive theory. The results of the SEM showed a significant direct relationship between metacognitive beliefs and quality of life. CAS strategies mediated the effect of metacognitive beliefs on quality of life. Higher level of metacognitive beliefs was associated with greater use of CAS strategies, which in turn was associated with lower quality of life. Further, more CAS strategies were associated with lower quality of life. The results support the generic metacognitive model and suggest that stronger endorsement of dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs and corresponding CAS strategies are associated with lower quality of life. This observation held even when controlling for relevant covariates and suggests that modifying metacognitive beliefs may impact on subjective quality of life.

Experiences of Nurses and Midwives With Indecorously Structured Duty Rosters at Selected Health Facilities in Ho, Volta Region of Ghana: A Qualitative Study.

Decent working time in the health sector is critical to providing quality care, and balancing health workers' well-being with the requirements of 24/7 healthcare provision. Nursing and midwifery staff, comprising the largest group in the health workforce, play a crucial role. Understanding their experiences and challenges related to duty rosters is essential for improving work conditions, job satisfaction, and ultimately, the quality of care. This study aims to explore the experiences of nurses and midwives with the hospital duty roster at selected health facilities in Ho, the Volta Region of Ghana. A qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach was employed to capture the nuanced experiences of nurses and midwives regarding the hospital duty roster. A semistructured interview guide facilitated data collection, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of participants' experiences. Three selected health facilities in Ho, the Volta Region of Ghana, served as the study's location. The study recruited 20 participants (nurses and midwives) to reach data saturation. The collected data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed through thematic content analysis, using a deductive approach. Researchers reviewed the raw data, generating initial codes to capture new concepts of interest. The duty roster often demonstrated organizational flaws negatively impacting the health, well-being, and job performance of nurses and midwives, consequently affecting patient care quality. The study identified that these healthcare professionals faced significant risks of work-related stress, burnout, and mental health problems due to ineffective coping strategies toward the hospital duty roster. Findings from the study also demonstrated that nurses and midwives prefer day shift because of its short time and the availability of all groups of professionals to help manage cases as compared to a night shift. The findings underscore factors influencing nurses' choice of shift patterns, emphasizing the need for further research to explore the extent to which nurses' preferences are considered when designing hospital duty rosters. Such insights can contribute to improving both the working conditions of healthcare professionals and the overall quality of patient care.

Coping Strategies Among Family Caregivers of Patients with Chronic Mental Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: It is widely acknowledged that family caregivers of patients with chronic mental disorders face numerous challenges that can jeopardize their mental well-being. Therefore, the adoption of effective coping strategies can equip them to navigate the difficult and stressful situations encountered in their daily lives. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess the coping strategies employed by family caregivers of patients with chronic mental disorders who were receiving care at psychiatric centers in Isfahan, Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study involved 188 family caregivers of individuals with mental disorders selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics form and the Endler and Parker Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations – Short Form (CISS-SF). The relationship between demographic variables and coping strategy scores was analyzed using independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson and Spearman correlation tests in SPSS v. 20. Results: The results revealed that 55.1% of family caregivers utilized emotion-oriented coping strategies, 30.3% employed problem-solving coping strategies, and 14.6% adopted avoidance coping strategies. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between the types of coping strategies and any of the demographic variables (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Given the findings of this study, which suggest that family caregivers tend to use ineffective coping strategies, it is imperative to implement preventive and psychological interventions aimed at enhancing the utilization of problem-oriented coping strategies within this group.

The Effect of Benson's Relaxation Technique on Coping Strategies Among Informal Caregivers of Cancer Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study.

Informal caregivers of cancer patients often experience high levels of stress and burden, leading to the adoption of ineffective coping strategies. This can result in psychological problems for the caregivers and inadequate care provision. This study aimed to investigate the impact of Benson's relaxation technique (BRT) on coping strategies among informal caregivers of cancer patients. This open-label randomized clinical trial enrolled 113 caregivers visiting the radiotherapy and chemotherapy departments of Vasei Hospital in Sabzevar, Iran, who scored ≥48 on the Novak and Guest Caregiver Burden Inventory. The participants were randomly allocated to either the intervention group or the control group. The intervention group received BRT, with participants performing the technique twice a day for 20 minutes each time over a 1-month period. The control group did not receive any intervention. Coping strategies were assessed using Endler and Parker's coping strategies inventory. The findings of the study revealed that the intervention group showed an increase in the utilization of problem-oriented coping strategies (P = .076) and a decrease in the utilization of emotion-oriented coping strategies (P < .001) and avoidance-oriented coping strategies in the intervention group compared with the control group (P = .004). Findings suggest that BRT, as a cost-effective and nonpharmacological intervention, effectively reduces the reliance on emotion-oriented and avoidance-oriented coping strategies among informal caregivers of cancer patients. Healthcare professionals working in oncology settings are encouraged to incorporate BRT into their care practices.

Coping Strategies and Burnout Among Medical and Social Workers Providing Services to People with Limited Mobility

INTRODUCTION. The centerpiece of the development of occupational burnout is the individual’s ability to cope with stressful situations. AIM. To determine ways to cope with stress among employees of healthcare organizations and social service institutions providing services to low-mobility population groups, as well as to assess the correlations between individual coping strategies and burnout symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The study involved 81 employees of healthcare organizations (group 1) and 88 employees of a social service institution (group 2). We used COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory) questionnaire adapted by T.O. Gordeeva et al. to determine ways of coping with stress; Maslach Burnout Questionnaire adapted by N.E. Vodopyanova to determine symptoms of occupational burnout. RESULTS. Employees of a social service institution more often than the staff of healthcare organizations had high levels of coping strategies: positive reformulation and personal growth (in 80.7 % and 60.5 % respectively, p = 0.002), active coping (in 76.1 % and 58 %, p = 0.012), planning (in 76.1 % and 53.1 %, p = 0.002). At the same time group 1 representatives 2.1 times more often than group 2 representatives had high values of the integral index of occupational burnout: 50.6 % against 23.9 % (χ2 = 12.997, p 0.001). DISCUSSION. Ineffective coping-strategies, correlating with the levels of occupational burnout symptoms, appeared to be concentration on emotions and their active expression, mental disengagement from the problem, behavioural disengagement from the problem, and denial. Among the effective ones are active coping, planning, positive reformulation and personal growth. CONCLUSION. Burnout symptoms were more frequent in the surveyed sample of the healthcare workers than in the workers of social service institutions and were associated with insufficiently active use of effective ways of coping with stress.

Self-reported general health/psychological status of Ukrainian female refugees in the Czech Republic

Abstract 533 490 refugees from Ukraine received ‘temporary protection’ from the Czech government. The data for the cross-sectional study (919 females) were obtained via an online survey which recorded self-reported physical health and psychological status, specific aspects of mental health, coping strategies and demographic characteristics. The average age of participants was about 38 years old and more than 70% had children. Most respondents have a university education (71%), came from cities and towns (88.7 %), and had employment in Ukraine (73.8 %). As regards, self-reported health, 43% of females reported their general health as good, 46.8% as fair, and 10.2% as bad and very bad. In addition, 27.9% reported that their health has worsened during the last month and 4.5% that their health had worsened or that they had sustained injury due to the war. Also, 52.7% self-reported their psychological status as fair, 26% as bad, and 7.7% as having very bad status. Preliminary results showed that refugees more often used problem-focused and emotion-focused strategies and less avoidant coping strategies. Ineffective coping strategies of self-blame and behavioural disengagement were associated with poorly reported physical health/psychological status. Effective coping strategies were positively associated with better-reported psychological status. The majority of Ukrainian female refugees (75.2%) have a moderate level of perceived stress, and 20.3% have a high level. Total stress score was moderately positively correlated with the avoidant coping strategy (r = .48), so the higher the perceived stress the higher the possibility for respondents to employ avoidant coping strategy. Moreover, there were strong positive correlations between perceived stress and self-reported emotional and psychological status (r = .61) and positive correlations with self-reported physical health (r = .29). The higher level of perceived stress related to the worst self-reported physical and mental health. Key messages • The research outcomes could be used in the social policy of the Czech government to help Ukrainian female refugees to better adapt to the country and avoid worsening physical and mental health status. • Social policies can reduce the negative physical and mental health outcomes associated with refugees’ resettlement.

What makes Chinese adolescents “trapped” in severe mental illness? An interactionist perspective on self and identity

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to explore the self and identity perspectives among Chinese adolescents with severe mental illness (SMI), with a focus on their illness experience and subjective meaning of a formal diagnosis. Thirty-one Chinese adolescents were interviewed and the interview data were analysed strictly according to principles suggested by the constructivist grounded theory approach. Five theoretical codes emerged in this study, including changes of personal values and beliefs, accumulated persistent developmental challenges and personal stresses, ineffective coping strategies and development, symptoms and development of mental illness, and changed perceptions and understandings of self. A proposed model of “The dynamic interactions of Chinese adolescents’ identity and mental illness”, was constructed and visualized. The results revealed that adolescents’ identity formation is a fluctuating and non-linear process, but tends to be predominantly negative. The negative self, as informed by long-term ineffective coping with accumulated persistent developmental challenges and stressful events, develops towards a more serious status of negative identity and contributes to relapse symptoms, although this impact occurs variably with perceived personal characteristics. Besides, some participants who had achieved a state of “Buddha-like numbness” made a conscious decision to live a seemingly normal life while coexisting with their illness. The study also highlighted the positive aspects of identity formation that can arise from the experience of illness, including an enhanced sense of realism and increased empathy. Our findings will imply much the need for person-centred treatment plan and services that take into account of individual situations.

Mentalizing partially mediates the association between attachment insecurity and global stress in preservice teachers.

Considering the fact that the teaching profession is a highly stressful occupation and that teachers' ineffective coping strategies contribute to higher levels of stress, the objective of the present study was to investigate whether insecure attachment is related to global stress experiences in preservice student teachers. Furthermore, it was examined whether this link is mediated by the preservice teachers' mentalizing-the capacity to perceive and consider one's own and others' behavior based on intentional mental states. Data of this cross-sectional study came from 202 preservice student teachers using self-report instruments (attachment: Expectation in Close Relationships; mentalizing: Reflective Functioning Questionnaire; stress: Trier Inventory of Chronic Stress). The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling. Anxious attachment was positively related to stress and impairments in mentalizing. In addition, the link between attachment-related anxiety and stress was partially mediated by mentalizing. Avoidant attachment was not associated with stress or mentalizing. Results indicate that anxious attachment is associated with higher perceived stress in preservice student teachers. Consequently, attachment-related anxiety may be a risk factor which, in turn, may foster perceptions of higher global stress experiences. Additional research needs to focus on exploring the link between attachment insecurity and global stress experiences among preservice student teachers. An examination of preservice student teachers' own attachment experiences proves to be useful, for example in the context of mentalization-based supervision or reflective practice.

The role of men’s forgiveness in marital satisfaction and coping strategies of infertile iranian women

BackgroundInfertility and its related problems create tensions in infertile women, which may lead to reduced marital satisfaction and the use of ineffective coping strategies. Considering the important role of forgiveness, marital satisfaction and effective coping strategies in the quality of life of infertile couples, and taking into account the growing number of Iranian infertile couples, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between men’s forgiveness, marital satisfaction, and coping strategies of infertile Iranian women.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 200 Iranian infertile couples. The research environment was the most equipped infertility center in the west of Iran. Sampling was continuous. Data collection tools used included a self-generated demographic and fertility questionnaire, the Family Forgiveness Scale (FFS), the Index of Marital Satisfaction (IMS), and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire-revised (WOCQ-R).ResultsHusbands’ forgiveness had a significant direct relationship with the marital satisfaction of infertile women (r = -0.27, p < 0.001). However, there was no significant correlation between Husbands’ forgiveness, emotion-focused, and problem-focused coping of infertile women. Among the subscales of forgiveness, only the subscale of recognition had inversely correlated with the emotional coping of infertile women.ConclusionThe results showed that the higher the forgiveness of husbands, the higher the marital satisfaction of infertile women. Also, with the increase of husbands’ forgiveness in the recognition subscale, the use of emotion-focused coping decreased in infertile women. Based on the results with empowering the husbands of infertile women with forgiveness skills, it is possible to take a step towards marital satisfaction and thus improve the quality of life of infertile women.