Personal Protective Factors Research Articles

Supporting Resilience and the Management of Grief and Loss among Nurses: Qualitative Themes from a Continuing Education Program.

Caring for patients with cancer is highly stimulating and rewarding, attracting health professionals to the field who enjoy the challenge of managing a complex illness. Health professionals often form close bonds with their patients as they confront ongoing disease or treatment impacts, which may be associated with multiple losses involving function and/or eventual loss of life. Ongoing exposure to patient loss, along with a challenging work setting, may pose significant stress and impact health professionals' well-being. The prevalence rates of burnout and compassion fatigue (CF) are significant, yet health professionals have little knowledge on these topics. A 6-week continuing education program consisting of weekly small-group video-conferencing sessions, case-based learning, and an online community of practice was delivered to health care providers providing oncology care. Program content included personal, organization and team-related risk and protective factors associated with CF, grief models, and strategies to mitigate against CF. Content analysis was completed as part of the program evaluation. In total, 189 participants (93% nurses) completed the program, which was associated with significant improvements in confidence and knowledge of CF and strategies to support self and team resilience. Qualitative themes and vignettes from experiences with the program are presented. Key themes included knowledge gaps, a lack of support related to CF and strategies to support resilience, organization- and team-based factors that can inhibit expression about the impacts of clinical work, the health professional as a "person" in caregiving, and the role of personal variables, self-skill practices, and recommendations for education and support for self and teams.

Compliance With Epidemic Prevention Guidelines Among Wuhan Citizens Under the Stressors of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Multidistrict Comparative Analysis.

The current study aims to compare compliance with the COVID-19 prevention guidelines among citizens from 13 districts in Wuhan and to explore the influence of individual-level psychological factors and district-level factors on compliance. A total of 811 participants (52% females) from 13 districts in Wuhan were invited to complete surveys regarding demographics, psychosocial factors and compliance with epidemic prevention guidelines. Individual-level characteristics were combined with district-level measures to create multilevel predictive models of compliance with prevention guidelines, and used the Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) to analyze the data. Findings revealed that there were significant differences in the compliance of citizens from 13 districts of Wuhan (F = 5.65, P < 0.001). Hierarchical linear model analysis revealed that the risk factors case growth rate, COVID-19-related perceived stress, anxiety, significantly negatively predicted compliance. Hope and conscientiousness significantly positively predicted compliance with prevention guidelines, and the negative predictive effect of anxiety disappeared. Overall, we found significant differences in compliance with prevention guidelines among different districts. Risk factors at the individual level have had a negative impact on individuals’ compliance with prevention guidelines, but this impact can be mitigated by the positive role of personal protective factors such as conscientiousness and hope.

Analysis of COVID-19 Prevention Practices on Health Care Workers in Three Hospitals in Palembang

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global concern. In this case, Health Care Workers (HCW) are at the front lines in dealing with the pandemic as they provide diagnosis, care, and treatment. However, their duties have directly placed them at the most at risk of infection. Mitigation and risk reduction are crucial for safeguarding HCWs' health as it prevents the spread of COVID-19. This research aimed to find out the practice of COVID-19 prevention and the correlation among practice and knowledge, attitudes, and personality traits of HCW in Palembang. A cross-sectional study was conducted between May and July 2021 on 255 HCW who have direct contact with patients. The number of respondents per hospital is taken proportionally according to the portion of HCW in each selected hospital. The instrument consisted of demographic variables, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. It proves that it is reliable with Cronbach's alpha value of 0.7. The researchers used descriptive statistics, chi-square, and logistic regression. Overall, 65.2% of participants had good knowledge, 60% had a positive attitude, and 53.3% had good practice. Education (p-value 0.022) and attitude (p-value 0.000) of HCW were all influencing factor in practice. HCW who have a negative attitude are 5.413 times more to have bad practices than those who have a positive attitude (p-value&lt;0.001;PR=5.413). However, training for HCW and further research are recommended to analyze the availability of personal protective equipment, adequate facilities, hospital policies, or other factors that can influence and motivate the practice of HCW.

Psychosocial protective factors in promoting healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents

Abstract Introduction Children and adolescents from socially vulnerable families experience social as well as health-related disadvantages at a very early age. Resilience research increasingly focuses on general psychosocial protective factors and their positive role as an effective health resource. In this research, the influence of some selected protective factors on a healthy lifestyle in the target group of secondary school students is shown. Methods Using a method of a cluster analysis, a theory-led lifestyle typology was developed based on the variables ‘physical-sport activity' and ‘media consumption patterns'. Four lifestyle clusters were identified: sports-active frequent media users, sports-active low media users, sports-inactive frequent media users und sports-inactive low media users. The study examined how the resilience factor ‘physical fitness' (measured by the 6 min run) as well as personal, family and social protective factors were manifested in the respective clusters. Results In the sporty-active clusters, the proportion of children with good physical fitness was high (47%). In the sporty-inactive clusters, however, this proportion was only about 23%. Approximately 71.5% of the children in sporty-active clusters reported good health and health-promoting behavior, while in sporty-inactive clusters this percentage was 49.2%. Trusting and appreciative parent-child relationship and positive sibling ties were mentioned more frequently in sporty-active clusters than in sporty-inactive clusters. Discussion Regular exercise and moderate use of media have a positive effect on protective resilience factors. These can be considered as ‘health-enhancing' lifestyle characteristics in health-related behavior. Personal, family and social protective factors interact with physical activity and are effective health resources: physically active children are more resilient to stressful environmental situations. Key messages Regular exercise and moderate use of media have a positive effect on protective resilience factors. Protective resilience factors are ‘health-enhancing' lifestyle characteristics in health-related behavior.

Explaining Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Chinese Police Officers

Policing can be stressful, especially during public crises such as the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) pandemic. Using survey data from 600 police officers in a large city in West China, this study examines the prevalence of police stress increase during the pandemic’s peak month, compared pre-pandemic, and assesses a range of personal and work-related risk and protective factors of police stress. We found that Chinese officers suffered widespread, increased levels of stress during the peak pandemic month. Sources of police stress primarily came from changes in workloads and fear of contracting COVID-19. Perceived effectiveness of agency protection of officers against the COVID-19 risk, sufficient amount of sleep, and increased family time significantly reduced stress. These results bear important research and policy implications.

The roles of stress, coping, and parental support in adolescent psychological well-being in the context of COVID-19: A daily-diary study

BackgroundCOVID-19 has introduced novel stressors into American adolescents’ lives. Studies have shown that adolescents adopt an array of coping mechanisms and social supports when contending with stress. It is unclear, though, which strategies are most effective in mitigating daily pandemic-related stress, as few micro-longitudinal studies have explored adolescents’ daily affect during COVID-19. Parental support may also be a critical component of adolescents’ pandemic-related coping, as adolescents’ peer networks have been limited by public health measures. MethodsThis longitudinal study examined links between stress, coping, parental support, and affect across 14 consecutive days and 6216 assessments from a national sample of adolescents (N=444; Mage=15.0; 60% female; 44% Black/African American, 39% White/Europen American, 9% Latinx, 6% Asian American, 2% Native American) during school closures and state-mandated stay-at-home orders between April 8 and April 21, 2021. ResultsAdolescents’ health and financial stress predicted increases in same-day (health stress’ effect size = .16; financial stress’ effect size = .11) and next-day negative affect (health stress’ effect size = .05; financial stress’ effect size = .08). Adolescents’ secondary control engagement coping predicted increases in same-day (effect size = .10) and next-day (effect size = .04) positive affect and moderated the link between health stress and negative affect. Parental social support predicted increases in same-day (effect size = .26) and next-day (effect size = .06) positive affect and decreases in same-day (effect size = .17) negative affect and moderated the link between financial stress and negative affect. LimitationsResults are indicative of conditions at the immediate onset of COVID-19 and should be interpreted as such. ConclusionsFindings provide information as to how health providers and parents can help adolescents mitigate the impact of COVID-19-related health and economic stressors on their psychological well-being. It remains critical to monitor the psychosocial impact of the pandemic on adolescents’ affect while continuing to identify personal and environmental protective factors for reducing harm and maximizing resilience.

Personal Variables of Protection against Cannabis Use in Adolescence: The Roles of Emotional Intelligence, Coping Styles, and Assertiveness as Associated Factors.

(1) Background: Many public bodies have warned of the increased consumption of cannabis, particularly among adolescents. From the Positive Youth Development approach, the promotion of personal protective factors takes on special importance against some risks, such as the consumption of addictive substances. (2) Methods: This research is one of the first to study the role of trait and ability emotional intelligence in relation to cannabis use and with respect to other personal variables of protection, such as coping styles and assertiveness. For this purpose, a final sample of 799 schoolchildren was obtained. (3) Results: After controlling for age and gender, the results of the regression analyses revealed that emotional perception, emotional facilitation, emotional clarity, emotional repair, active coping style, and assertiveness were inversely and significantly associated with cannabis use behaviors. On the other hand, the emotional attention and avoidant coping style factors were positively and significantly associated with these behaviors. (4) Conclusions: These findings provide new evidence that could be useful in terms of guiding health-promoting clinical and educational interventions at an early age.

Use of personal protective equipment among doctors deployed in COVID-19 duty and factors affecting it

COVID 19 or Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 continues to spread globally due to its high transmissibility. The rapid and extensive spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has become a major cause of concern. The aim of this study was to determine the use of Personal Protective Equipment among the doctors deployed in COVID-19 duty in the state of Maharashtra, India and the factors affecting it. This was a cross sectional, questionnaire-based study. The study population consisted of doctors including residents and interns who were engaged in the government and private practice in the state of Maharashtra. 146 health professionals participated in the study, out of which 122 were considered for analysis. A self-designed, pre-validated questionnaire was administered to them. The questionnaire was divided into 3 sections which included questions regarding professional details, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and factors affecting it. Statistical analysis was done using Descriptive statistical test such as Chi square test and Odds ratio (OR). 84.4% of the participants were using PPE appropriately as per guidelines by the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on "The Rational Use of Personal Protective Equipment". 86.8% had awareness regarding these guidelines. 62.3% of the health professionals had received training regarding its usage. 17.2% reported that PPE were rarely available in the hospital, while for 44.3% PPEs were provided sometimes. There was a statistically significant association of appropriate use of PPE with awareness (p=0.026) training (p=0.025), and availability (p=0.001). Significant association of use of PPEs with their availability in the hospital, awareness about the guidelines and training provided was seen. There is an urgent need to promote a strong culture of safety in the health care system via educational and training programs. The present study shows that most of the subjects were using PPE appropriately as per the guidelines issued by Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, yet there were significant gaps in some of the important aspects such as availability in hospital, awareness about the guidelines and training provided. These findings clearly indicate the importance of promoting a strong culture of safety via health education and training programs across all healthcare professionals.

¿Qué Aporta la Inteligencia Emocional al Estudio de los Factores Personales Protectores del Consumo de Alcohol en la Adolescencia?

A lot of public bodies have warned against an increase in alcohol intake and its extended use among adolescents. Some studies have revealed the relevance of emotional intelligence (EI) as a novel construct that may be useful in explaining this problem. The objective of this study is to analyze the contribution of trait and ability EI to the understanding of alcohol consumption with respect to other personal protective factors such as self-esteem, self-efficacy, and assertiveness previously studied. A correlational and quantitative methodology was used on a sample of 799 students. The results suggest that the factors of emotional perception, emotional clarity, emotional repair, self-esteem, and assertiveness were significantly and inversely related to alcohol consumption behaviors, unlike the emotional attention component. These findings offer new empirical evidence that may assist in establishing preventive interventions targeting young people.

Health Care Workers' Mental Health and Quality of Life During COVID-19: Results From a Mid-Pandemic, National Survey.

The authors sought to quantify the rates of psychological distress among health care workers (HCWs) during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify job-related and personal risk and protective factors. From April 1 to April 28, 2020, the authors conducted a national survey advertised via e-mail lists, social media, and direct e-mail. Participants were self-selecting, U.S.-based volunteers. Scores on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Primary Care Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Screen, and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-C were used. The relationships between personal resilience and risk factors, work culture and stressors and supports, and COVID-19-related events were examined. Of 1,685 participants (76% female, 88% White), 31% (404 of 1,311) endorsed mild anxiety, and 33% (427 of 1,311) clinically meaningful anxiety; 29% (393 of 1,341) reported mild depressive symptoms, and 17% (233 of 1,341) moderate to severe depressive symptoms; 5% (64 of 1,326) endorsed suicidal ideation; and 14% (184 of 1,300) screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder. Pediatric HCWs reported greater anxiety than did others. HCWs' mental health history increased risk for anxiety (odds ratio [OR]=2.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.09-3.70) and depression (OR=3.49, 95% CI=2.47-4.94), as did barriers to working, which were associated with moderate to severe anxiety (OR=2.50, 95% CI=1.80-3.48) and moderate depressive symptoms (OR=2.15, 95% CI=1.45-3.21) (p<0.001 for all comparisons). Nearly half of the HCWs reported serious psychiatric symptoms, including suicidal ideation, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Perceived workplace culture and supports contributed to symptom severity, as did personal factors.

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia as a dyadic protective factor in the transition to parenthood.

Considerable heterogeneity has been observed in couples' adjustment to the transition to parenthood (TTP). One potential yet understudied predictor of emotional adjustment to the TTP is the new parents' capacity for regulation. A widely accepted biological marker of this capacity is respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), which is closely tied to parasympathetic activation. In the present work, we sought to examine the role of tonic RSA and RSA reactivity as possible protective dyadic factors in the TTP. As part of a larger study, we recruited a sample (N=100) of TTP couples. At 15weeks postpartum, the couples took part in a lab session during which their RSA was assessed both at rest (tonic RSA) and during four affiliative dyadic interactions (RSA reactivity). Following this session, couples completed daily diaries over a period of 3weeks, reporting their daily levels of negative affect and stress. A Multivariate Actor Partner Interdependence Model was used to examine the extent to which each partner's RSA predicted their own and their partner's negative affect (NA) level, as well as NA stress-reactivity (i.e., the strength of the within-person stress-affect association). New mothers' tonic RSA predicted their own lower NA level and NA stress-reactivity; both their tonic RSA and RSA reactivity predicted their (male) partners' lower NA level; and finally, new fathers' tonic RSA and RSA reactivity predicted their (female) partners' lower NA stress-reactivity. These results suggest that RSA may serve as a personal and dyadic protective factor.

308 - Personal protective factors in personal growth for nursing homes staff

IntroductionMost studies about nursing homes staff are based on deficit models and focused on risks factors, however, when appealing to protective factors or individual strengths the publications are scarce. People differ in individual characteristics, abilities or skills which may be protective when managing adversities. Engaging and resolving positively stressors and other adversities gives people a sense of achievement, satisfaction, and helps to their personal growth, being this expressed through a major tolerance, compassion, forgiveness, and hope.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess whether variables associated to the professionals (resilience, purpose in life, job content, job satisfaction and burnout) had a significant role in the personal growth of nursing homes staff in different job context situations (person-directed care and person-centred care).Method:187 professionals working in nursing homes participated in this study.Results:The results showed that personal growth was explained by purpose in life, person-centred care, burnout self-realization, personhood, management and resilience, predicting 66% of variance (F= 23,22; p≤.01).Conclusion:Individual variables of the staff predict personal growth, especially in person centred care. Personal growth has positive consequences on the caregiver but also on the care receiver. These results are consistent with the Person-Centered Care model that stresses the need of considering the humanistic aspects not only of the care-receiver but also of the caregiver.This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (grant number PSI2016-79803-R).

Personal Risk and Protective Factors Involved in Aggressive Behavior.

The study of aggression plays a prominent role in psychology and public health, because of the important adverse consequences of such behavior for victims, aggressors, and society in general. The General Aggression Model (GAM) provides a general conceptual framework for understanding the aggressive as a result of three stages: (a) inputs: personal and situational factors; (b) present internal states: affect, cognition, and arousal; and (c) outcomes: decision processes with a (non)aggressive result. The main objective of this research was to study the personal protective and risk factors most strongly associated with aggressive behavior acting at the first stage of the GAM model. A total of 282 young adult participants took part in this study. Participants were assessed for aggression levels and a set of the most relevant variables that have been associated with aggressive behavior in the previous literature. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that levels of aggression were mainly associated (73.2% of the explained variance) with the following protective factors: the ability to manage emotions as a component of emotional intelligence (EI), and perspective-taking and personal distress as components of empathy, and with the following risk factors: negative and positive urgency as a component of impulsivity, fantasy as a component of empathy, negative affect, and expressive suppression of emotions. These findings provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying aggressive behavior and provide greater empirical value to the current theoretical models. In addition, this research can help to inform the design of more successful programs for the prevention, control, and treatment of aggressive behavior. Limitations and future lines of research are discussed.

Life events and adolescent depressive symptoms: Protective factors associated with resilience.

Depression is a public health concern among youth, and it is pertinent to identify factors that can help prevent development of depressive symptoms in adolescence. This study aimed to investigate the association between negative life events and depressive symptoms among adolescents, and to examine the influence and relative contributions of personal, social and family protective factors related to resilience. Data stem from the cross-sectional youth@hordaland-survey, conducted in Hordaland, Norway. In all, 9,546 adolescents, aged 16-19 years old (52.8% girls) provided self-report information on depressive symptoms, negative life events and protective factors related to resilience. Experiencing a higher number of negative life events was related to increases in depressive symptoms, while the potential protective factors goal orientation, self-confidence, social competence, social support, and family cohesion individually were associated with fewer symptoms. Although there were small moderating effects of goal orientation and self-confidence, the results mainly supported a compensatory resilience model. When considering the potential protective factors jointly, only self-confidence and family cohesion were significantly associated with fewer depressive symptoms for both genders, with the addition of social support for girls. There were significant interactions between all the potential protective factors and gender, indicating a greater reduction of depressive symptoms with higher levels of protective factors among girls. Interventions aimed at fostering self-confidence and family cohesion could be effective in preventing depressive symptoms for adolescent boys and girls, regardless of their exposure to negative events. Results further indicate that preventive interventions targeting these potential protective factors could be especially beneficial for adolescent girls.

Surface Contamination With Antineoplastic Drugs on Two Inpatient Oncology Units.

To measure surface contamination with antineoplastic drugs on inpatient oncology units and to characterize nursing staff personal protective equipment (PPE) use and factors that predict this use. A descriptive pilot study of two inpatient oncology units at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, administering etoposide and cyclophosphamide. Surfaces in four patient rooms and select shared areas were swabbed with methanol, acetonitrile, and water. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Nursing staff (N = 27) answered questions about their demographics, PPE use, and factors that influence PPE use via online survey. Contamination with cyclophosphamide and etoposide was detectable and quantifiable in 61% and 31% of surfaces tested, respectively. Nursing staff reported suboptimal use of PPE when administering, disposing, and handling excreta of patients. Workplace safety climate was predictive of PPE use. The potential for contamination with antineoplastic drugs in inpatient oncology units presents exposure risks for healthcare workers, patients, family members, and visitors. Future research and interventions to limit exposure and increase routine surface sampling should focus on those areas of greatest contamination, including toilet seats, a prominent finding from the current study.

Concepualization and promotion of resilience, well-being and mental health in children and adolescents

Concepualization and promotion of resilience, well-being and mental health in children and adolescents Abstract. Resilience, mental health and well-being are commonplace terms in Positive Psychology and Psychiatry. However, many aspects regarding their definition, assessment and promotion still remain unclear. Therefore, this review provides an overview of recent studies and suggests that resilience is best understood as allostasis, i. e. as an interactive process between individuals and environment to achieve or maintain stability in the context of present or anticipated stressors through behavioral and / or physiological changes. Consequently, the degree of resilience of an individual depends on the context, population, stressor(s), risk or protective factors and outcome. Thus, resilience is a multidimensional construct only visible when a person is experiencing adversity or traumatic events. Preliminary results suggest that interventions targeting personal (assets) and environmental (resources) protective factors in children and adolescents produce some positive effects on symptom levels when assessed directly after the intervention. Similar to the concept of resilience, no consensus on the definition or measurement of well-being has been reached so far. Given the overlap between both constructs, well-being is often regarded as an indicator or element of resilience. Future cross- and longitudinal studies are therefore needed to uncover the composition and underlying mechanisms of these constructs, to reveal how they relate to each other and to determine the potential role of developmental and cultural peculiarities.

Barriers and Enablers to Sex Workers’ Uptake of Mental Healthcare: a Systematic Literature Review

Sex workers face many barriers to accessing the inalienable human right of mental health. The aim of this review was to synthesize the evidence on the barriers to mental healthcare for sex workers and the factors that facilitate uptake. A search conducted in 2018 of peer-reviewed and gray literature produced between 2008 and 2018 in OECD countries resulted in 32 documents eligible for inclusion. The literature revealed that the barriers of stigma, discrimination, violence, pathologization, and criminalization exacerbate the psychological distress of sex workers while impeding uptake of mental healthcare. Personal resilience, protective factors, agency, and social inclusion offset these barriers. Despite the risk of pervasive mental illness among sex workers due to, primarily, external factors, few studies present comprehensive examinations of sex workers’ mental health and fewer still explore sex workers with gender identities and sexual orientations that are not cisgender, heterosexual, or female. Although timely, equitable treatment of sex workers in mental healthcare is currently atypical, the findings of this review suggest that inclusive, respectful psychological care is possible. Future research on holistic approaches to the mental health of sex workers could support the creation of much-needed, inclusive services and policies that improve sex workers’ quality of life.

Protective and risk factors for women's mental health after a spontaneous abortion.

Objective: to examine personal and contextual protective and risk factors associated with women’s mental health after a spontaneous abortion. Method: a cross-sectional study was carried out where 231 women who had experienced spontaneous abortions in the past 4 years answered a self-reporting online questionnaire to assess their mental health (symptoms of depression, anxiety, perinatal grief) and to collect personal as well as contextual characteristics. Results: women who had experienced spontaneous abortions within the past 6 months had higher scores for depressive symptoms than those who had experienced spontaneous abortions between 7 and 12 months ago, while anxiety level and perinatal grief did not vary according to the time since the loss. Moreover, low socioeconomic status, immigrant status, and childlessness were associated with worse mental health after a spontaneous abortion. In contrast, the quality of the conjugal relationship and the level of satisfaction with health care were positively associated with women’s mental health. Conclusion: women in vulnerable situations, such as immigrants, women with a low socioeconomic status, or childless women are particularly vulnerable to mental health problems after a spontaneous abortion. However, beyond those personal and contextual factors, the quality of the conjugal relationship and the level of satisfaction with health care could be important protective factors.

War can harm intimacy: consequences for refugees who escaped Syria.

BackgroundSyrians seeking refuge have been exposed to atrocities and trauma beyond comprehension. This study examines how personal, interpersonal, displacement and war-related factors have impacted married refugees’ intimate lives.MethodsData included 158 married Syrian refugee individuals who live in the host communities of Jordan. Refugees reported on their personal, interpersonal, current-displacement and past-war related experiences. Traumatic impacts were assessed using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), K6 screening scale for serious mental illness (SMI), The War Events Questionnaire (WEQ), and Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships (PAIR). Stepwise multiple regressions were used to determine the factors associated with refugees’ intimacy-total score and its six dimensions.ResultsMost refugees (94.2%) experienced war events, and 34% screened positive on the PTSD-HTQ scale. Overall intimacy scores were low, scoring M (±standard deviation) = 2.4 (±1.1) of a possible five on average. Intimacy scores were lower for refugees who screened positive on the PTSD-HTQ (M = 1.95 ± 65) compared to the ones screening negative, respectively (M = 2.23 ± 66). Furthermore, the higher the PTSD symptoms reported, the lower the couples’ intimacy. PTSD and forced marriage were the strongest factors to predict decreased total-intimacy scores (β = -0.23, P = 0.002; β = -0.32, P < 0.001), and decreased scores on four dimensions of intimacy (emotional, sexual, intellectual and recreational). Whereas gender was the second strongest factor associated with decreased total-intimacy scores (β = -0.29, P < 0.001), and decreased scores on three dimensions of intimacy (emotional, social and anger), meaning that women reported suffering more than men from deteriorated intimacy in their marital relationships. Other displacement and war-related factors associated with intimacy were: decreased sexual intimacy associated with having been raped; increased intellectual intimacy associated with escaped from Syria with one’s spouse; decreased recreational intimacy associated with the number of family members lived with; decreased sexual, emotional and total-intimacy scores associated with number of children; and years of education as a seemingly personal protective factor associated with increased intellectual and recreational intimacy.ConclusionsAddressing Syrian refugees’ intimacy issues in interventions is essential, as well as raising the awareness of stakeholders and community leaders to the negative impacts of PTSD, forced marriage, rape, and displacement difficulties endured by the already challenged and distressed married refugees.

Understanding Risk and Resilience for Sexual Minority Emerging Adults: a Longitudinal Outlook on Minority Stress, Mental Health, and Academic Perseverance

Mental health symptoms are highly prevalent during emerging adulthood. During that developmental stage, some subgroups are at even higher risk of experiencing adjustment difficulties. Sexual minority emerging adults are more vulnerable to such difficulties than their heterosexual peers. The minority stress framework (Meyer, Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers 1:3–26, 2013) has been developed in order to provide insight on the greater risk of mental health symptoms that sexual minority emerging adults face, yet no theoretical model has explored simultaneously and longitudinally the different adjustment difficulties they face. Inspired by Meyer’s (Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers 1:3–26, 2013) framework, the present study aims to understand the specific personal and environmental risk and protective factors associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms and with academic difficulties experienced by sexual minority emerging adults.