Low Sense Of Control Research Articles

Restricted reproductive rights and risky sexual behaviour: How political disenfranchisement relates to women's sense of control, well-being and sexual health.

Few studies have investigated the role of disenfranchisement and denial of agency in women's sexual health. To address this, a cross-sectional study of disenfranchisement, control (general and reproductive control) and health was conducted in Ireland, where abortion is severely restricted. Multiple mediation models ( N = 513 women) indicated that general but not reproductive control mediates the association between disenfranchisement and psychological well-being. Additionally, serial mediation shows disenfranchisement is associated with lower sense of control, which is linked to poorer well-being and risky sexual behaviour. Disenfranchisement arising from socio-political contexts may have important implications for women's sexual health.

Sense of control and adolescents' aggression: The role of aggressive cues.

The misperception of aggressive cues is considered a risk factor for inducing adolescent aggression. Poor coping with life stress is also considered a major influence on aggression. The current study examined the relationship between subjective sense of control and adolescent aggression, considering influences upon the perception of these aggressive cues. In Study 1, 60 participants took part in a 2 (sense of control: high sense of control vs. low sense of control) × 2 (aggressive cue: aggressive vs. neutral) between-subjects contextual experiment. The result found that a lower sense of control led to an increase in adolescents' aggression; only in the low-sense-of-control condition did exposure to aggressive cues boost aggression. In Study 2, the catalytic effect of aggressive cues was further explored by an experiment in which 40 adolescents were randomly assigned to a low- or high-sense-of-control condition to test the importance of aggressive cues. The results suggest that adolescents in the low-sense-of-control condition show a higher salience for aggressive cues.

Cross-country discrepancies on public understanding of stress concepts: evidence for stress-management psychoeducational programs.

BackgroundNegative effects of stress have pose one of the major threats to the health and economic well being of individuals independently of age and cultural background. Nevertheless, the term “stress” has been globally used unlinked from scientificevidence-based meaning. The discrepancies between scientific and public stress knowledge are focus of concern and little is know about it. This is relevant since misconceptions about stress may influence the effects of stress-management psychoeducational programs and the development of best practices for interventions. The study aimed to analyze stress knowledge among the Canadian and Brazilian general public and to determine the extent to which scientific and popular views of stress differ between those countries.MethodsWe evaluated 1156 healthy participants between 18 and 88 years of age recruited from Canada (n = 502) and Brazil (n = 654). To assess stress knowledge, a questionnaire composed of questions regarding stress concepts (“stress is bad” versus “stress-free life is good”) and factors capable of triggering the stress response (“novelty, unpredictability, low sense of control and social evaluative threat versus “time pressure,work overload, conflict, unbalance and children”) was used.ResultsBoth Canadian and Brazilian participants showed misconceptions about stress and the factors capable of triggering a stress response. However, the rate of misconceptions was higher in Brazil than in Canada (p < 0.05).ConclusionThese findings suggest a lack of public understanding of stress science and its variance according to a country’s society. Psychoeducational programs and vulnerability of stress-related disorder are discussed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0886-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Patterns and the mediating role of avoidant coping style and illness perception on anxiety and depression in patients with chronic heart failure.

Emotional distress in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) predicts mortality, hospital readmission and quality of life. The patient's avoidant coping style and beliefs about the disease have been linked to emotional distress in CHF. However, the pattern and transmitting effects of these variables are indefinite. This study aimed to examine the links between and the potential mediating role of illness perceptions and avoidant coping style on depression and anxiety in patients with CHF. Self-assessment data from 103 patients with CHF were subjected to path analysis in two hypothesised models. The outcome measures were coping styles, illness perception, anxiety and depression. Avoidant coping had a direct adverse effect on anxiety and depression. The perception of symptom burden and personal control, significantly mediated the effect between avoidant coping and anxiety and depression. Avoidant coping style appears to influence not only emotional distress, but also a malignant symptom perception and low sense of control over the illness.

Psychosocial factors modify the association of frailty with adverse outcomes: a prospective study of hospitalised older people.

BackgroundFrailty increases the risk of adverse outcomes in older people. The impact of psychosocial factors on frailty and adverse clinical outcomes associated with frailty has not yet been examined in the hospital setting. The aims of this study were to: i) investigate the association between psychosocial factors and frailty, and ii) to establish whether psychosocial factors impact on the association between frailty and adverse outcomes.MethodsData was collected from a Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit (GEMU) in Australia. Frailty was identified using Fried’s frailty criteria. Psychosocial factors included wellbeing, sense of control (mastery), social activities, home/neighbourhood satisfaction, social relationships, anxiety and depression. Outcome measures were: mortality at 12 months, long length of GEMU stay (LOS), 1-month emergency rehospitalisation, and a higher level of care needed on discharge. Covariates adjusted for were age, gender and comorbidity.ResultsThe mean (SD) age of participants (n = 172) at admission was 85.2 (6.4) years, with 129 (75%) female patients. 96 (56%) patients were classified as frail, with 64 (37%) pre-frail and 12 (7%) robust. Frail patients had an increased likelihood of 12-month mortality (HR, 95% CI = 3.16, 1.36–7.33), discharge to a higher level of care (OR, 95% CI = 2.40, 1.21–4.78), long LOS (OR, 95% CI = 2.04, 1.07–3.88) and 1-month emergency rehospitalisation (OR, 95% CI = 2.53, 1.10–5.82). Psychosocial factors associated with frailty included poor wellbeing, anxiety, depression, and a low sense of control. Several psychosocial factors increased the likelihood of adverse outcomes associated with frailty, including anxiety and low ratings for: wellbeing, sense of control, social activities and home/neighbourhood satisfaction.ConclusionsOur results indicate that frail older adults with low psychosocial resources had an elevated risk of mortality, discharge to higher level care, long LOS and rehospitalisation. Consideration of psychosocial factors in comprehensive geriatric assessments will assist in patient care planning.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2318-14-108) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Thai Buddhism and well-being: an application of stress process theory

The purpose of this study was to explore how Buddhism is associated with well-being among Thai Buddhists via an application of stress process theory. Survey data were collected in 2012 from 314 Thai citizens and analysed with structural equation modelling to assess how the association between socio-economic status (SES) and well-being is mediated by stressors and resources, in particular, religious resources. The results reveal that low SES is associated with greater financial hardship and household crowding and lower sense of control, which in turn are associated with worse well-being. Furthermore, income is associated with happiness via belief in Dharma control, whereas education is associated with unhappiness via its negative association with public religiosity. Lastly, the positive influence of religious beliefs on well-being is contingent upon having a relatively high sense of control, whereas the positive influence of religious behaviours is contingent upon having a relatively low sense of control.

Feelings of control, unconditional self-acceptance and maternal self-esteem in women who had delivered by caesarean

Objective: the objective of this study is to establish a greater understanding of the emotional and cognitive mechanisms associated with caesarean delivery. Method: 201 women who had given birth in the previous year (58 by caesarean) responded to 3 scales: the Labor Agentry Scale (LAS) evaluating sense of control during the delivery, the Maternal Self Report Inventory (MSRI) measuring the level of maternal self-esteem and the Unconditional Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (USAQ) assessing the degree of unconditional self-acceptance. Results: women who had undergone a planned or an emergency caesarean had a lower sense of control and reduced maternal self-esteem when compared to women who had spontaneous vaginal delivery. The sense of control at the delivery had a mediating role in the relationship between the delivery mode and the level of maternal self-esteem. No significant difference was found for unconditional self-acceptance concerning the type of delivery. Conclusions: delivery by caesarean has repercussions regarding women’s beliefs. Giving a sense of control at the birth and unconditional self-acceptance should be of central importance in improving maternal self-esteem.

Postpartum depression in Malaysian women: the association with the timing of pregnancy and sense of personal control during childbirth

Objective: To determine the prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) in Malaysian women and its association with unplanned pregnancy and experience of control during childbirth. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving women 24-48 hours after delivery. PPD was measured with the Edinburg Postpartum Depression Scale and the timing of pregnancy was assessed with a four question scale. Sense of personal control during childbirth was measured with the Labour Agentry Scale. Other relevant clinical and demographic data were collected. Results: Of the 347 women included, the prevalence of PPD was 31.7%. There were higher risks in women with unplanned pregnancies [45% vs. 26.3%; χ 2 = 11.477, df = 1 p < 0.01]. Lower score of childbirth control was associated with PPD [CI 7.23-13.96, p < 0.01]. Conclusion: Screening for women with unplanned pregnancies and education for those with low sense of control during childbirth help to reduce the risk of PPD.

Psychosocial factors and attendance at a population-based mammography screening program in a cohort of Swedish women

BackgroundA better understanding of the factors that influence mammography screening attendance is needed to improve the effectiveness of these screening programs. The objective of the study was to examine whether psychosocial factors predicted attendance at a population-based invitational mammography screening program.MethodsData on cohabitation, social network/support, sense of control, and stress were obtained from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort Study and linked to the Malmö mammography register in Sweden. We analyzed 11,409 women (age 44 to 72) who were free of breast cancer at study entry (1992 to 1996). Mammography attendance was followed from cohort entry to December 31, 2009. Generalized Estimating Equations were used to account for repeated measures within subjects. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported.ResultsAmong 69,746 screening opportunities there were 5,552 (8%) cases of non-attendance. Higher odds of non-attendance were found among women who lived alone (OR = 1.47 (1.33-1.63)) or with children only (OR = 1.52 (1.29-1.81)), had one childbirth (OR = 1.12 (1.01-1.24)) or three or more childbirths (OR = 1.34 (1.21-1.48)), had low social participation (OR= 1.21 (1.10-1.31)), low sense of control (OR = 1.12 (1.02-1.23)), and experienced greater stress (OR = 1.24 (1.13-1.36)).ConclusionsPublic health campaigns designed to optimize mammography screening attendance may benefit from giving more consideration of how to engage with women who are less socially involved.

Emotions and the Microfoundations of the Arab Uprisings

In any political setting, a few people will defy political authority. The main challenge for theories of rebellion is to explain when and why others join en masse. Scholarship on social movements typically develops answers to this puzzle on the basis of either of two microfoundations. Explanations that conceptualize individuals as utility-maximizers contend that they protest as a means to other ends. Explanations that see individuals as driven by values and beliefs suggest that people protest for the inherent benefit of voicing dissent. Both perspectives generate compelling explanations. Yet how do purposeful individuals act when utilitarian calculations and cherished values recommend contrary courses of action? Why might an actor prioritize one or the other at different points in time? Taking on these questions, I argue for an approach to microfoundations that focuses on emotions. Emotions such as fear, sadness, and shame promote pessimistic assessments, risk aversion, and a low sense of control. Such dispiriting emotions encourage individuals to prioritize security and resign to political circumstances, even when they contradict values of dignity. By contrast, anger, joy, and pride promote optimistic assessments, risk acceptance, and feelings of personal efficacy. Such emboldening emotions encourage prioritization of dignity and increase willingness to engage in resistance, even when it jeopardizes security. When instrumentality and values offer different answers to the question of whether to resign or rebel, therefore, emotions can shift individuals toward one or the other. I ground this argument in findings from the neurosciences and illustrate it with evidence from the 2011 uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt and the absence of an uprising in Algeria.

Socioeconomic status and the risk of depression among UK higher education students

Many university students experience some symptoms of depression during the course of their studies but there is evidence that students from less advantaged backgrounds may be more vulnerable. The study was a cross-sectional online survey of 923 undergraduate students attending 6 U.K. Universities in the academic year 2009-2010 who completed a modified version of the Zagazig Depression Scale (ZDS). Overall, 58.1% of female and 59.9% of male study participants screened positive for depression (ZDS score >10). In the fully adjusted model, final year students (OR = 1.8) who lived in a more deprived area (OR = 2.3) were more likely to report higher rates of depressive symptoms. Additionally, students with high perceived control (OR = 1.6) whose mothers were highly educated (OR = 0.5) and from a family of a high affluence (OR = 0.3) were less likely to suffer from higher rates of depressive symptoms. The relationship between lower social economic status and depression was partly mediated by low sense of control. Students from less advantaged backgrounds are more at risk of depression but a strong sense of control over one's life may be protective. Since depression has strong impact on students' learning and quality of life universities should consider confidential screening for mental health problems and provide additional support for students.

Patients' beliefs about the causes, persistence and control of psychotic experiences predict take-up of effective cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis

There is evidence that patients with schizophrenia benefit from standard cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) only if active techniques are used ('full therapy'). By contrast, attending sessions but not proceeding beyond engagement and assessment strategies ('partial therapy'), or simply not attending sessions ('no therapy'), is not associated with better outcomes. The factors leading to full therapy are unknown. We hypothesized that patients' initial ideas about the nature and extent of their problems would predict use of CBT. A match between patients' views of their problems and the principles underlying treatment would lead to better outcomes. Ninety-two patients with a recent relapse of psychosis completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) before receiving CBT. We examined whether their illness perceptions predicted the take-up of therapy. Patients who did not attend sessions believed their problems would not last as long as those who attended them. Those who attended sessions but did not proceed to full therapy had a lower sense of control over their problems and a more biological view of their causes. Patients who took up full therapy were more likely to attribute the cause of their problems to their personality and state of mind. The take-up of therapy was predicted neither by levels of psychiatric symptoms nor by insight. People with psychosis who have psychologically orientated views of their problems, including the potential to gain control over them, may be more likely to engage fully and do well with standard CBT for psychosis, irrespective of the severity of their problems.

EStress and coping in patients with multiple sclerosis. A comparative study with normative sample

Title: Stress and coping in patients with multiple sclerosis. A comparative study with normative sample. Abstract: Multiple Sclerosis (MS), not only provokes a series of physical limitations, but also a great number of psychosocial distress. The objective of this study is twofold: 1) to establish the kind of problems commonly narrated by MS patients, the level of stress generated, the perceived degree of control and the coping strategies used to face them. 2) To compare the use of coping strategies and the degree of stress and control between MS patients and the normative sample. Method: the participants were 70 MS diagnosis patients (48 women and 22 men). The results indicate that physical disabilities, problems related to work and the lack of a sense of future projection are the main stressors that are prevalent concerns to MS patients. The strategies most frequently used by participants are Problem Solving and Positive Reappraisal and the less frequently used is Emotional Discharge. The low sense of control in these patients is related to a high intensity of stress. Furthermore, the intensity of stress is associated with a major use of avoidance strategies. No differences are found related to level of stress and sense of control between MS patients and normative sample and scarce differences related to the use of coping strategies.

The Big-Five, sense of control, mental health and fear of crime as contributory factors to attitudes towards punishment

Low sense of control (SoC), mental health problems and fear of crime (FoC) have separately and previously been linked to the Big-Five personality dimensions, but no study to date has sought to integrate these constructs simultaneously in relation to overall punitiveness. These constructs were assessed in 232 participants using an online survey to examine hypothesised relations between FoC and SoC, poorer mental health, Neuroticism ( N), Extraversion ( E) and Conscientiousness ( C), and any resultant punitiveness. Measures were highly correlated, and an exploratory factor analysis summarised these as ‘instability’ and ‘crime attitude’ dimensions. A structural equation model found that high levels of N and poor mental health, as well as low levels of C, E and SoC were related to a latent variable of ‘distress’, which fed into heightened FoC. High levels of C further influenced FoC, which subsequently had an effect on individuals’ greater punitiveness. The current study supports the previous literature regarding variables that influence FoC and attitudes to punishment, and establishes novel associations involving personality.

Gender Differences in Depressive Symptoms Among Older Korean American Immigrants

Despite consistent reports over many years of a greater prevalence of depression among women, mechanisms underlying the gender difference remain unclear. Mechanisms relevant to immigrant elderly populations are virtually unexplored. The present study examined gender variations in depressive symptoms using a community sample of 230 older Korean American immigrants (Mage = 69.8; standard deviation = 7.05) in Florida. We were interested in examining not only mean differences but gender differences in the impact of demographic variables (age, marital status, and education), health constraints (chronic conditions and functional disability), and personal resources (sense of control, social network, and acculturation) on depressive symptoms. Consistent with previous literature, women scored higher on depressive symptoms than men. In a hierarchical regression model, women and those with more chronic conditions, greater functional disability, and lower sense of control were found to have more depressive symptoms. The interaction of gender-by-chronic conditions was found to be significant, and further analysis indicated that the association of chronic conditions with mental well-being was stronger for women. The findings suggest that among older Korean immigrants, women are at particular risk of declining psychological well-being in the face of physical health problems and call attention to the need for interventions designed to promote their physical and mental health.

The adaptive effect of personal control when facing breast cancer: Cognitive and behavioural mediators

This prospective study examines the cognitive and behavioural mediators of the relation between personal control and the initial response to a breast cancer diagnosis as well as subsequent psychological adjustment. A total of 143 patients participated immediately after diagnosis (T1), after surgery (T2) and 2 months after the end of treatment (T3), of whom 92 also completed a questionnaire pre-diagnosis (T0). The buffering effect of personal control on psychological distress shortly after diagnosis was mediated by cancer-specific cognitions, i.e. threat appraisal and coping self-efficacy. Moreover, a strong sense of personal control predicted lower levels of anxiety 2 months after the end of treatment, but was unrelated to distress at T3. The adaptive effect on anxiety was mediated by threat appraisal and active engagement in social life after surgery, but not by active patient participation or coping self-efficacy. These results confirm and explain the adaptive effect of control. Apparently, women with a low sense of control appraise cancer and their personal coping skills more negatively, which makes them vulnerable to distress in response to diagnosis. Furthermore, women with a strong sense of control might regulate anxiety by remaining engaged in social life.

Impact of a Mental Health Training Course for Correctional Officers on a Special Housing Unit

Impact of a Mental Health Training Course for Correctional Officers on a Special Housing Unit

Mediated and direct effects of general control beliefs on obsessive compulsive symptoms.

Although control-related cognitions have often been implicated in discussions of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), empirical investigations of the relationship between control constructs and OCD symptoms have been relatively limited. This article investigated the hypothesis that OCD symptoms may be linked with a higher desire for control (DC), but a lower sense of control (SC) over the self and environment, leading to motivation for compulsive symptoms. It also investigated whether this effect was direct, or mediated through other OCD-related cognitions. This hypothesis was investigated in a nonclinical population, using path analyses controlling for depression. It was found that higher levels of DC and lower levels of SC were associated with higher levels of OCD-related beliefs, and with symptoms via higher OCD-related beliefs. SC was also directly linked with higher OCD symptoms. Control beliefs regarding both the internal (emotions) and external (threat) environment were related to OCD symptoms. Implications for therapy and research are discussed.

Gender Differences in Functional Health and Mortality Among the Chinese Elderly

In this study, the authors focused on older adults in Beijing with three objectives: to examine gender differences in functional health and mortality at the end of a five-year study period, controlling for initial functional health; to determine the extent to which these differences were a function of exposure versus vulnerability to risk factors; and to analyze the relative importance of social, economic, and psychological risk factors in explaining gender differences. The results show that women were more likely to survive and to be functionally dependent at follow-up compared with men among those functionally independent at baseline. No significant differences among those who were initially dependent were apparent. Differential vulnerability to risk factors, more so than exposure, explained the variation in health outcomes across gender. Smoking, a lack of formal education, a lack of health insurance, a low sense of control, stressful events, and rural living played large roles in explaining the differences.

Student attitudes toward learning, level of pre-knowledge and instruction type in a computer-simulation: effects on flow experiences and perceived learning outcomes

Attitudes toward learning (ATL) have been shown to influence students’ learning outcomes. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the ways in which the interaction between ATL, the learning situation, and the level of students’ prior knowledge influence affective reactions and conceptual change. In this study, a simulation of acid-base titrations was examined to assess the impact of instruction format, level of prior knowledge and students’ ATL on university-level students, with respect to flow experiences (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) and perceived conceptual change. Results show that the use of guiding instructions was correlated with a perceived conceptual change and high levels of “Challenge,” “Enjoyment,” and “Concentration,” but low sense of control during the exercise. Students who used the open instructions scored highly on the “Control flow” component, but their perceived learning score was lower than that for the students who used the guiding instructions. In neither case did students’ ATL or their pre-test results contribute strongly to students’ flow experiences or their perceived learning in the two different learning situations.