Positive Adaptation Research Articles

Venezuelans in Peru: Adaptation attitudes, optimism and relations with host society

AbstractBy August 2023, the global population of Venezuelan migrants and refugees had reached 7.7 million. This constitutes one of the world largest migration movements in the recent decades and is arguably the most significant one in the context of South–South migration. This paper investigates adaptation attitudes of Venezuelan migrants as well as the attitudes towards their adaptation among Peruvian neighbours living in Peru. Furthermore, we explore the importance of optimism and intergroup relations for the adaptation attitudes. For this purpose, we designed and conducted a survey among Venezuelan migrants and their Peruvian neighbours in Peru between April and May 2023. Significant differences in adaptation attitudes were identified between migrants and their native neighbours. Venezuelans exhibited a greater proclivity towards positive adaptation whereas their neighbours demonstrated a tendency to marginalize or separate migrants. This can potentially lead to give rise to heightened conflict between two populations, thereby becoming a significant factor driving further migration of Venezuelans to other countries. However, optimism emerged as significant factor in shaping adaptation attitudes across both populations.

AI-Based Malware Detection and Classification for Wireless Networks

Abstract: This study highlights the shortcomings of conventional detection strategies like signature-based and anomaly-based approaches by examining the application of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for malware detection and classification in wireless networks. Using machine learning and deep learning algorithms, the study shows notable gains in false positive rates, detection accuracy, and adaptation to changing threats. The acquisition of data from many sources, the extraction of features from malware samples, and the thorough training and assessment of models are important techniques. The results demonstrate how successful AI-based systems are in detecting and reducing malware threats, even in the face of issues like dataset variety and interpretability. The potential of AI technology to improve cybersecurity measures in wireless environments is highlighted by this research.

Maternal support in preschool and child behavior problems: The mediating role of childhood emotion knowledge.

Children's emotion knowledge encompasses abilities to recognize and label emotions in the service of positive adaptation. Drawing on a sociodemographically diverse sample of 250 children (50% female sex assigned at birth; Mage_W1 = 49.02 months, SD = 2.99) and their maternal caregivers (55.6% Latina; 37.6% poverty), this study evaluated a multiple mediation model to integrate heretofore distinct bodies of research examining (a) parenting effects on the development of emotion knowledge and (b) emotion knowledge effects on socioemotional adaptation. Observations of maternal supportive presence at age 4 predicted increases in children's emotion recognition and labeling from ages 4 to 8. However, only emotion labeling skills explained children's behavioral adjustment outcomes with a significant pathway from supportive parenting at age 4 to fewer externalizing and internalizing behavior problems at age 10 via improved emotion labeling skills. These findings suggest that emotion knowledge, particularly labeling skills, partially explains the protective impact of supportive parenting on behavioral adaptation across childhood. Prevention and intervention efforts should target both supportive parenting practices and emotion knowledge skill development to support children's socioemotional functioning and reduce behavior problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Voices of Older African Immigrants on How They Cope with Social Isolation and Loneliness in the United States

ABSTRACT Objectives Up to 40% of older adults in the US, including older African immigrants, report experiencing social isolation and loneliness. Despite this prevalence, there is limited understanding of how they cope with these challenges. This study aims to contribute to a broader understanding of the coping mechanisms employed by older African immigrants in the face of loneliness and social isolation. Methods Using a qualitative approach, this study recruited and conducted semi-structured interviews with 11 participants aged 63–79. Results Four themes emerged from the data through a thematic analysis approach which includes a) Positive self-talk and adaptation: “I have to cope with it,” b) Technology/social media: “if I cannot interact physically outside, I go through social media/watch TV,” c) Intergenerational engagement beyond caregiving: “They [grandchildren] are my immediate constituency,” and d) Digging deep through faith: “Interactions have been mostly within the church.” Conclusions Older African immigrants may find strategies to cope with social isolation and loneliness, but additional support may be needed to strengthen their coping skills and enhance their social network with people outside of their families. Clinical Implications Intervention should focus on regular assessment and strengthening of their social network outside the family unit.

Challenges and coping strategies among caregivers of children with cancer receiving care at a national referral hospital in Kenya

BackgroundThe number of children diagnosed with cancer is expected to increase by 2050. The caring aspect of these children is usually left to members of the family, more so the mothers. Caregivers are usually faced with various challenges, such as financial issues, social stigma, and emotional and psychological issues. Caregivers use various coping strategies to manage the challenges they experience in the caring process, which can be positive or negative coping strategies.ObjectiveTo explore the challenges and coping strategies of caregivers of children with cancer receiving care at a national referral hospital in Kenya.MethodsThis study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach to explore the challenges and coping strategies of caregivers of children with cancer receiving treatment at a national referral hospital in Kenya. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select 44 participants for five focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted between October and December 2023. The data were analysed via inductive thematic analysis.ResultsFour themes arose from the challenges experienced, which included psychological, financial, treatment-related, and social/family-related issues. These eleven subthemes included stress, depression, lack of transport, lack of food, loss of employment, treatment delays, and marital issues, among others. Two themes related to coping strategies were positive adaptation and denial, which were highlighted as negative coping strategies. Positive coping included praying, crying, talking to people, and seeking help.ConclusionCaregivers of children with cancer undergo various challenges and apply various coping strategies to try and adapt to their new normal. Reinforcing positive coping strategies and helping caregivers utilize other coping strategies, such as the use of support groups, could help them better care for their children.

Assessing the energy system's greenhouse emissions via the health of Smart Territories and Cities

The aim of this paper is to understand how the main drivers of air pollution and greenhouse emissions impact public health in a Smart Territory — meaning a technologically integrated city or neighborhood — as well as how to design an optimized energy system model beyond only data by including the holistic experience of its people through phenomenology and ethics. We understand that a Territory and a City is a complex system where mathematical tool modeling known as Design of Experiment (DOE) and its optimization solutions are required to establish causality and identify the variables that have a broader impact on public health so that mortality rates due to air pollution are reduced. DOE's statistical branch is a novel methodology when applied to energy systems and the design of Smart Territories and Cities. Because of it, we have been able to demonstrate how energy emissions, capacity and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) affect the mortality rate and create the foundations for building fully decarbonised energy systems enhanced by mathematical solutions. However, the Cartesian approach of extrapolating from models which align themselves with economic growth alone will not solve the energy dilemma. In fact, the current energy transition project is based on outdated archetypes that lead to scary futures. To course-correct the problematic energy model of a Smart Territory, phenomenologists and creative imagination need to be cultivated and put into action together with mathematical modeling, leading to vectors of positive change and adaptation. Only then might the energy models designed to be reproducible could became ethically virtuous and therefore accepted by the Territory's co-dwellers within the chain of causalities.

“You Can’t Influence Illness, But You Can Influence Everything Else”: Women’s Diverse Experiences of Important Resilience Aspects in the Context of Breast Cancer

Resilience comprises positive adaptation to stress and has been extensively studied in the context of breast cancer. Nevertheless, specific experiences of breast cancer survivors in relation to resilience are unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the diverse experiences of important resilience aspects in breast cancer survivors. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 breast cancer survivors residing in Sweden. We used thematic analysis to analyze the data. We identified three themes relevant for resilience, each containing several subthemes: “I will try to keep the spirits up”: Struggling with agency in the face of uncontrollability, “You know that you are not alone”: Social support and collective survivorship for better and for worse, and “I try to leave that behind me”: Conceptualizing cancer as a closed chapter or a constant. Thus, having agency in relation to one’s thoughts, feelings, treatment, health, and daily functioning, having support from others, and conceptualizing breast cancer as a closed chapter were interpreted as important aspects of resilience.

Social Support and Social Adjustment Among Chinese Secondary School Students: The Mediating Roles of Subjective Well-Being and Psychological Resilience.

Within the scope of secondary education, social adjustment among students signifies their ability to effectively engage in social activities and adapt to shifting social environments. Extensive research across diverse geographical and sociocultural landscapes has demonstrated a positive correlation between social support and social adjustment; nonetheless, the specific mechanisms that facilitate this correlation among secondary school students remain largely unexplored. This study examines the roles of subjective well-being and psychological resilience as potential mediators in the connection between social support and social adjustment. To achieve this, a descriptive correlation design was employed with four measures, including Social Support Scale, Social Adjustment Diagnosis Scale, Adolescent Students' Life Satisfaction Scale, and the Chinese version of Mental Toughness Inventory (MTI). A total of 1537 valid responses from secondary school students across Zhejiang province (China) were collected, of which 786 were boys (51.1%) and 751 girls (48.9%), with average age of 16.89 years (SD = 0.79). This research demonstrates that social support, along with subjective well-being and psychological resilience, significantly and positively influences social adjustment. It was observed that both subjective well-being and psychological resilience, whether occurring simultaneously or in succession, partially mediate the influence of social support on social adjustment. The implications of this research suggest that enhancing social adjustment among secondary school students can be achieved by increasing their levels of social support, thereby boosting subjective wellbeing and fortifying psychological resilience. Within the environment of secondary schools, augmenting social support leads to improved social adjustment; furthermore, enhancing subjective wellbeing and reinforcing psychological resilience are crucial for supporting students' positive adaptation to dynamic social environments. Teachers and educational policymakers could implement training programmes, provide psychological counselling, and bolster home-school collaboration as strategies to foster better social adjustment among students.

Exposure to an acute stress impaired the metabolic plasticity of resilient rats by enhancing fatty acid β-oxidation in the ventral hippocampus

The concept of resilience has changed over time and nowadays it refers to the positive adaptation to life adversities, rather than to the absence of a pathological response normally occurring in susceptible people. Based on our previous data showing that the exposure to the chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm differently affected bioenergetics in the ventral hippocampus of vulnerable and resilient animals, here we investigated whether resilience is a stable trait or if the energetic strategy set in motion to sustain resilience unveils a vulnerability feature in a more dynamic situation. To this aim, vulnerable and resilient rats after 6 weeks of CMS were subjected to a further acute, unfamiliar restraint stress (ARS) and metabolomic studies were conducted in the ventral hippocampus. We observed that exposure to a single novel challenge negatively affects the fuel utilization of resilient animals. Indeed, while they increase glycolysis to sustain the non-hedonic phenotype when exposed to CMS, they shift to fatty acid β-oxidation after ARS, as vulnerable animals following CMS, suggesting that the energy strategy that guarantees resilience is fragile and can be negatively modified by a different environmental condition. These results suggest that strengthening resilience to foster individuals to bounce back from stressful life events may represent a strategy to decrease vulnerability or prevent the risk of relapsing to a pathological state.

Control Beliefs after a Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: The Need to Foster Resilience.

Objectives: Positive adaptation, like higher control beliefs, following a disability diagnosis is important to buffer against excess disability; however, no study has examined how the recent diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) impacts control beliefs. The current study addresses this gap in the literature. Method: We use data from the 2012-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Propensity score weighting was used to address the systematic selection of an ADRD diagnosis to understand how control beliefs (perceived constraints and mastery) are impacted two years following a diagnosis. Results: A new diagnosis of ADRD was associated with a lower mastery score two years later, regardless of baseline functional ability (b = -0.652, p < .001). No associations were noted between a new ADRD diagnosis and perceived constraints. Conclusions: Our results suggest that a recent diagnosis of ADRD has negative implications for mastery, which may facilitate excess disability.

Post-Treatment Experiences of Reproductive Concerns Among Young Breast Cancer Survivors: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study

PurposeThe long-term fertility impact of cancer treatments is a significant concern for young breast cancer survivors. These reproductive concerns often become a persistent source of stress, negatively affecting their quality of life. This study aims to explore the reproductive concerns experienced by young breast cancer survivors post-treatment and the factors influencing their perceptions. MethodsThis phenomenological study utilized semi-structured interviews to collect data. Eighteen participants were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Mainland China. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Colaizzi's method. ResultsData analysis revealed five themes and fourteen subthemes: (1) multiple emotional burdens interwoven with concerns about fertility; (2) concerns about risks associated with reproduction; (3) dilemma of childrearing; (4) the significance of reproduction; (5) support needs from family, peers, and professionals. ConclusionsYoung breast cancer survivors in China face significant challenges related to reproductive issues. Reproductive health is a crucial aspect of breast cancer survivorship care. Healthcare providers must be attentive to the reproductive concerns of survivors, recognize the importance of multidimensional support for positive adaptation, and offer tailored and ongoing interventions to manage reproductive health in young breast cancer survivors.

Cross-sectional size, shape, and estimated strength of the tibia, fibula and second metatarsal in female collegiate-level cross-country runners and soccer players

Bone stress injuries (BSIs) frequently occur in the leg and foot long bones of female distance runners. A potential means of preventing BSIs is to participate in multidirectional sports when younger to build a more robust skeleton. The current cross-sectional study compared differences in tibia, fibula, and second metatarsal diaphysis size, shape, and strength between female collegiate-level athletes specialized in cross-country running (RUN, n = 16) and soccer (SOC, n = 16). Assessments were performed using high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography and outcomes corrected for measures at the radius diaphysis to control for selection bias and systemic differences between groups. The tibia in SOC had a 7.5 % larger total area than RUN, with a 29.4 % greater minimum second moment of area (IMIN) and 8.2 % greater estimated failure load (all p ≤ 0.02). Tibial values in SOC exceeded reference data indicating positive adaptation. In contrast, values in RUN were similar to reference data suggesting running induced limited tibial adaptation. RUN did have a larger ratio between their maximum second moment of area (IMAX) and IMIN than both SOC and reference values. This suggests the unidirectional loading associated with running altered tibial shape with material distributed more in the anteroposterior (IMAX) direction as opposed to the mediolateral (IMIN) direction. Comparatively, SOC had a similar IMAX/IMIN ratio to reference data suggesting the larger tibia in SOC resulted from multiplane adaptation. In addition to enhanced size and strength of their tibia, SOC had enhanced structure and strength of their fibula and second metatarsal. At both sites, polar moment of inertia was approximately 25 % larger in SOC compared to RUN (all p = 0.03). These data support calls for young female athletes to delay specialization in running and participate in multidirectional sports, like soccer, to build a more robust skeleton that is potentially more protected against BSIs.

Relationships between Self-Efficacy and Teachers' Well-Being in Middle School English Teachers: The Mediating Role of Teaching Satisfaction and Resilience.

Teaching satisfaction and resilience play important roles in the education field, but most research focuses on higher education, with few scholars studying their impact on language teaching within the context of middle school education. In this sense, this study employs a mixed-methods research design, selecting 375 Chinese middle school English teachers to investigate the roles of teaching satisfaction and resilience in the relationship between self-efficacy and teachers' well-being. A structural equation modeling approach and NVivo were utilized to analyze quantitative data and qualitative data, respectively. Quantitative results reveal that both teaching satisfaction and resilience mediate the relationship between self-efficacy and teachers' well-being. Qualitative interviews reveal that teaching satisfaction primarily enhances job commitment, reduces job stress, improves student relationships, and increases professional growth. Meanwhile, resilience plays a crucial role in stress management, positive adaptation, and emotional regulation. This research offers insightful implications for improving teachers' well-being and contributes significantly to the broader discourse on foreign language teacher education.

Quality of life and family functioning 12 months after diagnosis of childhood brain tumour: A longitudinal cohort study.

The wellbeing of a child with brain tumour is affected by several factors. We present the first investigation of quality of life and family functioning in a parent and child across the first 12 months after diagnosis, examining potential factors to guide the provision of psychosocial resources to families who most need them. Data were collected from parents/carers in Queensland, Australia, from 2020 to 2023. Child (parent/carer-proxy reported) and carer quality of life was assessed across three timepoints (repeated measures analysis of variance [ANOVA]) and by five potential co-variates (mixed between-within ANOVA). Family functioning was assessed across two timepoints (repeated-measures t-test), and by potential co-variates (repeated measures ANOVA). Univariate relationships were explored with Pearson's correlation coefficient; significant relationships were entered into multiple regression models. Ninety-six diverse families were represented. Quality of life (child, carer) and family functioning did not change across time. Children from households with lower income reported worse cognitive difficulties (p=.023) and pain and hurt (p=.013) than those from a higher income. Caregiver quality of life was poorer for those whose child had received chemotherapy and/or radiation, was aged less than 4 years at diagnosis, and had a lower household income. At 12 months, caregiver quality of life was correlated with family functioning (r=-.45, p<.001), with positive adaptation being a significant key predictor (beta=-.66, p<.005). The following factors indicate a need for increased early psychosocial support: cognitive difficulties, aged<4 years at diagnosis, receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation, and low household income.

Positive Mental Health Types and Psychosocial Adaptation among College Students: A Longitudinal Study

Positive Mental Health Types and Psychosocial Adaptation among College Students: A Longitudinal Study

Effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure therapy on romantic relationships and intimacy among individuals with obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and a meta-analysis.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common yet often overlooked chronic sleep disorder with significant health implications globally. Bedpartners play a vital role in motivating individuals with obstructive sleep apnea to seek medical help, though their sleep quality may suffer, straining the couple's relationship. From September 2023 to January 2024, utilizing PubMed, Scopus, BioMed Central, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect and www.clinicaltrials.gov databases, this systematic review meticulously examined data from 27 studies to investigate how continuous positive airway pressure therapy, recognized as the gold-standard for treating obstructive sleep apnea, may positively influence psychological dynamics within couples. Additionally, a meta-analysis was conducted on nine studies, to assess the effect of continuous positive airway pressure on erectile function, which is often compromised in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The PRISMA checklist and specific quality assessments were followed to ensure methodological rigour and transparency. Findings reveal positive changes in conflict resolution for patients with obstructive sleep apnea post- continuous positive airway pressure adaptation (p < 0.05). Emotional functioning (p = 0.002) and social relationships (p < 0.001) also show improvements in bedpartners. While six subjective assessments indicate enhancements in sexual quality of life for patients with obstructive sleep apnea, challenges related to continuous positive airway pressure use as a barrier to intimacy are acknowledged. Focusing on male patients with obstructive sleep apnea, findings demonstrated a substantial improvement in erectile function post-continuous positive airway pressure utilization, with a Z-score of 4.84 (p < 0.00001). Female patients with obstructive sleep apnea using continuous positive airway pressure show no significant improvements in sexual functioning, while female bedpartners report positive changes. These insights emphasize the importance of holistic approaches in addressing the impact of obstructive sleep apnea on both individuals and their relationships.

Peculiarities of using hardiness training in psychological rehabilitation of combat participants

The article is devoted to the analysis of the peculiarities of the use of resilience and vitality training for psychological adaptation to new living conditions. Resilience is characterized as a person's ability to act effectively, despite stressful life situations. Resilience training is defined as a set of exercises aimed at forming effective interpersonal relationships based on support and trust, taking into account a person's previous traumatic experience. Identifying the possibilities of using strengthening training in the psychological rehabilitation of combatants. The objectives of the article are to define the concept of hardiness, the ways of its development in adulthood, the degree of pronouncedness of hardiness in demobilized combatants, analysis of the adaptation of hardiness to the conditions of Ukraine, the formation of a perspective identity in the context of this training, and the influence of training on the psychological adaptation of combatants. The following methods were used in this study: PCL-5 (F.W. Weathers), Rogers-Diamond questionnaire adapted by O. Osnitsky, viability questionnaire (S. Maddy). Endurance training is a set of exercises aimed at forming adaptive coping strategies, effective interpersonal relationships based on support and trust. The training basis of Hardinez is continuity, presented as the unity and wholeness of a person in the process of time, which reflects the temporary character of the individual. The described criterion of identity is ensured by the process of transformation of any changes that occur with a person and in a person into a continuous, continuous whole. Traditionally, resilience has been viewed as a general positive adaptation to stressors. However, the trait of resilience – returning to a previous state after crisis or extreme situations – can also have serious, often overlooked, drawbacks. In particular, it may be unrealistic to return to a previous state, or resilience may lead to a person being stuck in an unwanted, uncomfortable state. Since the concept of resilience is closely related to the impact of a stressor, it is necessary to clearly explain what a stressor is and how it affects a person. When resilience is conceptualized as a general positive adaptation, the stressor is usually defined as an event that is statistically associated with impairment, such as trauma. Resilience and hardiness training as a group form of psychological rehabilitation can be successfully used to improve adaptation skills to new life conditions, which are the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Ineffective coping (00069): A Walker and Avant conceptual analysis.

To analyze the diagnostic concept of "ineffective coping" (00069) proposed by NANDA-I, using Walker and Avant's framework. The theoretical framework of Walker and Avant was used for the concept analysis. A search was performed in the Virtual Health Library portal using the keywords "ineffective coping" and "enfrentamento ineficaz." According to the literature, ineffective coping is defined as an adoption of inadequate psychosocial and behavioral strategies in response to a set of contextual stressors that negatively affect well-being and lifestyle. The concept created for ineffective coping has the potential to address the psychosocial elements associated with life experiences in the face of coping mechanisms. This analysis may contribute to the improvement of nursing care for patients experiencing difficult situations in their lives, as well as the challenges of nursing interventions that promote positive adaptation.

Influence of Social Acceptance on Emotions, Hope and Resilience among Imprisoned Women in India

Imprisonment in law is the specific state of being physically incarcerated or confined in an institutional setting such as a prison, which has an impact on a person’s physical, emotional and behavioural well-being. Social acceptance is the desire to form and maintain close, lasting relationships with others. Emotions are defined as a complex state of feeling that results in physical and psychological changes that influence thought and behaviour. Hope is defined as the perception that one can reach desired goals. Resilience refers to a class of phenomena characterised by patterns of positive adaptation in the context of significant adversity or risk. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of perceived social acceptance of women prisoners on their dominant emotions (i.e., positive or negative). The study also examines the relationship between the dominant emotions and their impact on the hope and resilience of the women prisoners. The data of 55 women prisoners is collected from the Women’s Jail Cell, Central Jail Tihar, New Delhi and data is analysed. A Pearson Correlation is calculated to establish a relationship between Perceived Social Acceptance and Positive Affect and Negative Affect, which results as— Perceived Social Acceptance correlates positively with Positive Affect and negatively with Negative Affect, however, the results weren’t statistically significant (p&gt;0.05). In addition, an independent t-test between Positive Affect, Negative Affect, Hope and Resilience showed that women inmates with dominant Positive Affect positively impacted their Hope and Resilience (p&lt;0.05). The results are discussed within the framework of the literature.

Upholding Faith and Religious Freedom: An Interpretation of the Qur’ānic Story of Young Cave Dwellers as a Religious Minority

The study of religious freedom for minorities has various aspects, such as legal, human rights, sociological, cultural, and religious aspects. Unfortunately, efforts to find solutions to protect religious freedom for minority groups have not made adequate use of the religious perspective, particularly Islamic. This research paper aims to fill the gap by analyzing and interpreting the active efforts of young cave dwellers described in the Qur’ān as a minority group. For this purpose, it used the qualitative descriptive approach based on the thematic interpretation of the Qur’ān. The study covered the story of young cave dwellers as narrated in the Qur’ān in al-Kahf 18:9-26. The story was analyzed in terms of its narrative context, storyline, similarities with other similar stories, and other crucial aspects. It was found that young cave dwellers actively fought for religious freedom by combining firmness in faith and positive adaptation in interacting with the society. The story teaches us that religious freedom depends not only on the willingness of the majority group and the state but also on the proactive efforts of the minority group in behaving and acting on the diversity of religious views that surround them. For this reason, this paper contributes to provide conceptual solutions to the struggle of minority groups to fight for religious freedom amid religious diversity and views of life.