Potential Resilience Factors Research Articles

Risk and Resilience Factors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Snapshot of the Experiences of Canadian Workers Early on in the Crisis.

Research highlights several risk and resilience factors at multiple ecological levels that influence individuals’ mental health and wellbeing in their everyday lives and, more specifically, in disaster or outbreak situations. However, there is limited research on the role of these factors in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. The present study examined if and how potential risk factors (i.e., reduction in income, job insecurity, feelings of vulnerability to contracting the virus, lack of confidence in avoiding COVID-19, compliance with preventative policies) and resilience factors (i.e., trait resilience, family functioning, social support, social participation, and trust in healthcare institutions) are associated with mental health and well-being outcomes, and whether these resilience factors buffer (i.e., moderate) the associations between risk factors and said outcomes. One to two weeks after the government recommended preventative measures, 1,122 Canadian workers completed an online questionnaire, including multiple wellbeing outcome scales in addition to measures of potential risk and resilience factors. Structural equation models were tested, highlighting that overall, the considered risk factors were associated with poorer wellbeing outcomes, except social distancing which was associated with lower levels of stress. Each of the potential resilience factors was found to have a main effect on one or more of the wellbeing outcomes. Moderation analysis indicated that in general these resilience factors did not, however, buffer the risk factors. The findings confirm that the COVID-19 crisis encompasses several stressors related to the virus as well as to its impact on one’s social, occupational, and financial situation, which put people at risk for lower wellbeing as early as one to two weeks after the crisis began. While several resilience factors emerged as positively related to wellbeing, such factors may not be enough, or sufficiently activated at that time, to buffer the effects of the numerous life changes required by COVID-19. From an ecological perspective, while mental health professionals and public health decision-makers should offer/design services directly focused on mental health and wellbeing, it is important they go beyond celebrating individuals’ inner potential for resilience, and also support individuals in activating their environmental resources during a pandemic.

The role of psychological flexibility in the context of COVID-19: Associations with depression, anxiety, and insomnia

Evidence for detrimental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being around the world is now accumulating. As it does a next step is to understand how such effects can be mitigated, such as by studying psychological capacities that may afford people immunity against these impacts. In this study, we explore psychological flexibility (PF) and grit as potential resilience factors in the context of COVID-19. Standardized measures of depression, anxiety, and insomnia as well as measures of PF (committed action and inflexibility) and grit (perseverance of effort and consistency of interest) were administered through a large scale national online survey (N = 1102; mean age 36,9 years; 75% women). As predicted, the results show both PF and grit to be negatively associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Further, regression models including relevant background variables and both sets of resilience factors showed that total variance accounted for in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia was substantial, 50.5%, 49.5%, and 28.8%, respectively, with the PF components accounting for most of the explained variance in mental health. We conclude that PF and to a lesser extent grit may be important psychological resilience factors against mental health problems in the context of COVID-19. Our findings are practically important as they point to malleable public health targets during the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 and in the event of similar widespread health threats in the future.

Longitudinal changes in anxiety and psychological distress, and associated risk and protective factors during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

BackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic is related to multiple stressors and therefore may be associated with psychological distress. The aim of this study was to longitudinally assess symptoms of (un‐)specific anxiety and depression along different stages of the pandemic to generate knowledge about the progress of psychological consequences of the pandemic and to test the role of potential risk and resilience factors that were derived from cross‐sectional studies and official recommendations.MethodsThe present study uses a longitudinal observational design with four waves of online data collection (from March 27 to June 15, 2020) in a convenience sample of the general population in Germany. A total of N = 2376 participants that completed at least two waves of the survey were included in the analyses.FindingsSpecific COVID‐19‐related anxiety and the average daily amount of preoccupation with the pandemic decreased continuously over the four waves. Unspecific worrying and depressive symptoms decreased on average but not on median level. Self‐efficacy, normalization, maintaining social contacts, and knowledge, where to get medical support, were associated with fewer symptoms relative to baseline. Suppression, unhealthy habits, and a longer average daily time of thinking about the pandemic were correlated with a relative increase of symptoms.InterpretationOur findings provide insight into the longitudinal changes of symptoms of psychological distress along the first three months of the COVID‐19 pandemic in Germany. Furthermore, we were able to reaffirm the anticipated protective and risk factors that were extracted from previous studies and recommendations.

Loneliness and Social Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Risk Factors and Associations With Psychopathology.

Background: The mitigation strategies employed against the COVID-19 pandemic have severe mental health consequences. In particular, as a result of the social distancing protocols, loneliness is likely to increase. This study investigates (a) potential risk and resilience factors for loneliness in the Norwegian population during the strict social distancing non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) implemented against the pandemic and (b) the associations between loneliness and psychopathology symptoms.Methods: A survey was disseminated online to the adult Norwegian population when strict social distancing measures had been implemented for 2 weeks. The resulting sample of 10,061 respondents was unproportionate in terms of gender and educational level and thus sensitivity analyses were conducted. The levels of loneliness were compared across demographic sub-groups, and regression analyses were conducted to identify potential risk and resilience factors for loneliness and associations between loneliness and psychopathology symptoms.Results: Among the stable factors, being single and having a psychiatric diagnosis were related to more loneliness with small effect sizes. Among the state risk factors, more rumination and worry in general were associated with stronger loneliness, showing a medium effect size. Among the coping behaviors examined, doing new things at home not done otherwise was negatively related to loneliness, with a small effect size. Loneliness was associated with both depression and anxiety with small effect sizes when all potential confounders and psychiatric diagnosis were controlled for. The relationship to depression was more marked than the relationship to anxiety.Conclusions: The findings suggest that singles and those with a psychiatric diagnosis were most affected by loneliness during the implementation of social distancing measures to impede the coronavirus. The results support the link between loneliness and depression and anxiety symptoms. The results of the analysis of potential risk and resilience factors point to intervention targets for reducing loneliness during pandemic crises.

Anxiety in times of COVID-19 and other health crises

HintergrundEpi- und Pandemien sowie die Maßnahmen, um ihre Verbreitung einzudämmen, gehen mit zahlreichen Stressoren einher, die insbesondere auch zu starken Ängsten führen können.Ziel der ArbeitDer Artikel erläutert Charakteristika derartiger Ängste, potenzielle Resilienz- und Risikofaktoren sowie entsprechende Handlungsempfehlungen.MethodenForschungsergebnisse bezüglich COVID-19 und früherer Epi- und Pandemien (z. B. HIV, SARS, MERS, Ebola und Schweinegrippe) sowie offizielle Handlungsempfehlungen werden dargestellt.ErgebnisseAngstsymptome treten in Epi- und Pandemien häufig auf – insbesondere zu Beginn – und verringern sich meist im weiteren Verlauf. Auch wenn sich verschiedene Infektionskrankheiten unterscheiden, ähneln sich die damit assoziierten Ängste und beinhalten z. B. die Furcht vor gesundheitlichen, sozialen und wirtschaftlichen Konsequenzen. Resilienz- und Risikofaktoren fallen ebenfalls vergleichbar aus. Selbstwirksamkeitserwartung, Unsicherheitstoleranz, Normalisierung, Routine, Sicherheit und soziale Unterstützung wirken meist protektiv. Erhöhter Medienkonsum, weibliches Geschlecht, Arbeit im medizinischen Kontext, Suppression, vorbestehende Erkrankungen, gesundheitsschädliches Verhalten und eine unmittelbare Betroffenheit durch das Virus gehen dagegen in der Regel mit stärkeren Ängsten einher.DiskussionÄngste sollten beobachtet und aufgefangen werden, um pathologische Verläufe zu verhindern – insbesondere bei vulnerablen Gruppen. Es empfiehlt sich, mittels präventiver und therapeutischer Maßnahmen Resilienzfaktoren zu fördern und Risikofaktoren entgegenzuwirken. Daraus ergibt sich die Notwendigkeit der Entwicklung und empirischen Überprüfung spezifischer Interventionen sowie weiterer Längsschnittstudien.

The Role of Self-compassion, Concern for Others, and Basic Psychological Needs in the Reduction of Caregiving Burnout.

ObjectivesCompassion is the beneficial response of an individual to the sufferings and difficulties of others. Self-compassion refers to feelings of concern an individual feel towards oneself. Both may serve as potential buffers in a hospital setting where caregivers attending to patients in critical condition experience emotional distress, which may lead to burnout. However, the unique contribution of compassion, both to self and others, to the decrease of burnout is unclear.MethodsIn the present study, we recruited 109 professional caregivers working in a hospital’s intensive care and rehabilitative units. We explored a theoretically driven mediation model in which the relationship between compassion for self and others and burnout is mediated by different basic psychological needs, detailed in the self-determination theory.ResultsResults indicated that self-compassion and concern for others were associated with reduced levels of burnout. Each of these buffers against burnout was mediated by a unique psychological need, thereby supporting a three-layered model of (a) compassion and self-compassion, (b) basic psychological needs, and (c) burnout.ConclusionsOur study highlights compassion and self-compassion as potential resilience factors against the challenge of burnout in healthcare. It points to promising avenues for preemptive clinical interventions.

Gratitude: A Resilience Factor for More Securely Attached Children

Research on the association between childhood attachment and depressive symptoms has primarily focused on the role of risk factors. This resulted in a lack of research on the role of potential resilience factors. In the current study, we suggest that middle childhood secure attachment is linked to adolescents’ trait gratitude, which is linked to the enhanced resilience against the development of depressive symptoms in adolescence. In a longitudinal study, we measured 157 children’s (9–12 years old, 48% boys) attachment appraisals (anxiety, avoidance, and trust), attachment representations (secure base script knowledge, and coherence) and depressive symptoms at baseline, and gratitude and depressive symptoms at follow-up two years later. Results supported our hypotheses that middle childhood attachment was robustly linked with adolescent trait gratitude. Moreover, trait gratitude indirectly linked middle childhood attachment avoidance, trust, and secure base script knowledge to change in depressive symptoms over time. These findings may help explain why more securely attached children are less likely to develop depressive symptoms.

Considering the Role of the Menstrual Cycle on Increased Suicidality in Adolescent Females

Increased suicide in adolescent females calls for further study of potential risk and resiliency factors. Considering the relationship that menstrual cycle plays on mood and increased likelihood of suicidality in adult women, it is likely that a similar relationship is present in adolescents. The current review used PubMed and PsycInfo to assess articles related to menstrual cycle and suicide in adolescents. Limited data was present on the role that menstrual cycle and related disorders such as PMS and PMDD has on the worsening of mood symptoms and suicidal ideation and attempts, with minimal research conducted on adolescents. This review identifies a gap in research regarding premenstrual distress as a potential risk factor for suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents. The present review suggests future routes for research in this area and the impacts that a better understanding of the complex relationship between menstrual cycle and suicide could provide in order to minimize the impact of menstrual distress on suicidality.

Age Differences in Risk and Resilience Factors in COVID-19-Related Stress.

ObjectivesOlder adults are at higher risk for death and infirmity from COVID-19 than younger and middle-age adults. The current study examines COVID-19-specific anxiety and proactive coping as potential risk and resilience factors that may be differentially important for younger and older adults in understanding stress experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodFive hundred and fifteen adults aged 20-79 in the U.S. reported on their anxiety about developing COVID-19, proactive coping, and stress related to COVID-19 in an online survey.ResultsAlthough there were no age differences in stress levels, anxiety about developing COVID-19 was associated with more COVID-19 stress for older adults relative to younger adults, but proactive coping was associated with less COVID-19 stress for older adults relative to younger adults.DiscussionOur results suggest that anxiety might function as a risk factor whereas proactive coping may function as a resilience factor for older adults’ COVID-19 stress. We encourage future context-dependent investigations into mental health among older adults during this pandemic and beyond.

Suicide among immigrants in Germany

AimsThe identification of high-risk groups is crucial in public health suicide prevention approaches. This study aims to compare suicide risks of Germans with nine of the largest immigrant populations living in Germany. MethodsBased on a German national database of mortality statistics, the number of suicides in Germans and immigrants was available for the study period (2000 - 2017), stratified for gender and age groups. Standard mortality ratios (SMR) for suicide were computed since age distributions differed between populations. Moreover, SMR of immigrant populations were correlated with potential risk and resilience factors. ResultsThe analysed dataset covers a period of 18 years, which translates to over 1.47 billion life years (LY) and 206,056 recorded suicides. 134,971,779 LY (10.1%) and 8,936 (4.3%) suicides were assigned to non-German citizens. SMR, calculated for nine of the largest immigrant populations, were lower compared with the German reference population ranging from 0.24 (Greek nationality) to 0.86 (Russian nationality). SMR in immigrants was highest in adolescents and declined with age. SMR was associated with country of origin (CO) suicide rates as well as with socio-economic factors of immigrant groups in Germany. With the global financial crisis, suicide risk of immigrants from the most affected countries decreased more strongly compared to immigrants from other CO. ConclusionsThe suicide risk strongly differs between the individual immigrant groups and is associated with risk factors of the respective CO. Therefore, future suicide prevention approaches in immigrants should take CO-specific vulnerabilities into account as well as age-related risk factors.

Acting with awareness and distress tolerance relate to PTSD symptoms among women with substance use disorder.

Women with a history of trauma exposure and substance use disorder (SUD) are more likely to report co-occurring post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms than the general population. However, cognitive factors such as increased distress tolerance and mindfulness disposition might be especially protective against PTSD symptoms for women with SUD. We examined the associations of distress tolerance and mindfulness disposition as potential resilience factors to PTSD symptoms in a sample of women receiving residential treatment for SUD (N = 237, M AGE = 32.34, 56.96% Hispanic). PTSD symptoms were divided into the clusters of Reexperiencing, Avoidance, Dysphoria and Arousal. Regression models revealed that distress tolerance and the mindfulness facet of acting with awareness are negatively and incrementally associated with total, dysphoria and arousal PTSD symptom severity, while non-reactivity has a significant negative relationship with avoidance PTSD symptoms. Only distress tolerance emerged to be negatively related to PTSD reexperiencing symptom severity. Our findings show that the ability to tolerate distress, as well as specific mindfulness skills, might protect against specific severe PTSD symptoms among women with SUD. Future research should examine whether targeting both of these facets is necessary for achieving favorable clinical outcomes on PTSD in this population.

How Can Online Communities Support Resilience Factors among Older Adults

ABSTRACT Recent gerontology studies emphasize resilience, the process of bouncing back from adversity as a significant factor of wellbeing. Further, advancements in technology such as online communities benefit older adults in various ways. Despite the evidence demonstrating the importance of resilience in wellbeing and specifically in later life, the relationship between online communities’ potential benefits and resilience factors among older adults is understudied. This study undertakes a systematic review of studies on potential benefits of online communities for older adults followed by an inductive thematic analysis to uncover the potential benefits of online communities for older adults. Next, the findings were compared with resilience factors of older adults to identify the potential benefits of online communities that can support resilience factors among older adults. Three potential benefits of online communities are identified: social support, self-empowerment, and wellbeing improvement. Findings show that these benefits can support resilience factors including meaningfulness, grit, self-care, external connection, health status, positive perspective on life, and independence. Our study provides a foundation based on the current literature and suggests future research directions to advance knowledge on the role of online communities in the resilience of older adults.

Functional connectome biotypes of chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment.

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is a common neurotoxicity among patients with breast and other cancers. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated measurable biomarkers of CRCI but have largely neglected the potential heterogeneity of the syndrome. We used retrospective functional MRI data from 80 chemotherapy-treated breast cancer survivors to examine neurophysiologic subtypes or "biotypes" of CRCI. The breast cancer group consisted of training (N = 57) and validation (N = 23) samples. An unsupervised clustering approach using connectomes from the training sample identified three distinct biotypes. Cognitive performance (p < 0.05, corrected) and regional connectome organization (p < 0.001, corrected) differed significantly between the biotypes and also from 103 healthy female controls. We then built a random forest classifier using connectome features to distinguish between the biotypes (accuracy = 91%) and applied this to the validation sample to predict biotype assignment. Cognitive performance (p < 0.05, corrected) and regional connectome organization (p < 0.005, corrected) differed significantly between the predicted biotypes and healthy controls. Biotypes were also characterized by divergent clinical and demographic factors as well as patient reported outcomes. Neurophysiologic biotypes may help characterize the heterogeneity associated with CRCI in a data-driven manner based on neuroimaging biomarkers. Our novel findings provide a foundation for detecting potential risk and resilience factors that warrant further study. With further investigation, biotypes might be used to personalize assessments of and interventions for CRCI.

Individual differences in impulsivity and need for cognition as potential risk or resilience factors of diabetes self-management and glycemic control

ObjectiveImpulsivity is marked by insufficient reflection and forethought, whereas Need for Cognition (NFC) also referred to as cognitive motivation or intellectual engagement is marked by elaborated thinking. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of these personality traits as resilience or risk factors, respectively, in diabetes self-management and glycaemic control. Further, it was examined whether diabetes-specific self-efficacy could serve as a mediator of these relationships.Design/MeasuresData of 77 participants with type 2 diabetes was ascertained, using self-report instruments for NFC, impulsivity, diabetes-specific self-efficacy, and diabetes self-management. Glycemic control was assessed by the biomarker HbA1c.ResultsWhile NFC was strongly positively associated with diabetes self-management and glycemic control, impulsivity showed a reverse pattern. Results of simple and serial mediation models showed that the effects on diabetes self-management and HbA1c of both, impulsivity and NFC, were mediated by self-efficacy.ConclusionThe moderate to high standardized coefficients suggests that NFC might be an important protective factor and impulsivity a possible risk factor for effective diabetes self-management and glycemic control. These traits could be applied for an easy-to-use questionnaire-based patient screening, enabling trait-tailored treatments and programs which in turn may lower economic and health costs associated with poor diabetes-care.

Syndemic Factors and HIV Risk Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Guangzhou, China: Evidence from Synergy and Moderated Analyses.

Syndemic factors tend to co-occur and increase the risks of condomless anal intercourse (CAI), multiple sexual partners (MSP) and HIV vulnerability among men who have sex with men (MSM). This study aimed to test the synergistic effects of syndemic factors on HIV risk and to further explore the moderators between syndemics and HIV risk among Chinese MSM. A cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit MSM in Guangzhou to collect data on syndemic factors (depression, intimate partner violence, childhood sexual abuse [CSA], alcohol, and rush popper use before anal sex). The relative excess risk due to interactions (RERIs) was calculated to test the synergy in adjusted regression models. A moderated analysis was conducted to test the buffer effects of potential resilience factors (education and income). Among the 976 included MSM, individuals experiencing more syndemic factors were more likely to have CAI (odds ratio [OR]= 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.11-1.44), MSP (OR= 1.33, 95% CI 1.16-1.52), and HIV infection (OR= 1.46, 95% CI 1.12-1.90). RERIs showed a synergy of depression and rush popper use prior to sex for MSP (1.17, 95% CI 0.03-2.03) and CSA and rush popper use prior to sex for HIV infection (1.72, 95% CI 0.05-3.43). However, no significant association was found for the interaction between the number of syndemic factors and education or income. Our findings support the synergy approach in syndemic studies and highlight the need for comprehensive and multifactorial intervention strategies on sexual health of MSM. Future studies are needed to identify potential resilience factors among Chinese MSM.

5.3 PROTECTIVE AND RESILIENCY FACTORS TO MITIGATE DEVELOPMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN WITH EARLY-ONSET MEDICAL CONDITIONS

Early medical illness can be an acute and chronic stressor for children and families and can lead to stressful life events, including catastrophic medical costs and loss of employment. It can also lead to improved health behaviors. This presentation will review a regression analysis of secondary data from a large, nationally representative survey. Exposure to an early medical condition is compared with an outcome of parent-reported mental health symptoms. Potential protective and resiliency factors are tested for significance, including elements of the child’s temperament, the family system, environmental factors, and access and nature of medical services provided to the child.

Association between personality and tau-PET binding in cognitively normal older adults.

Personality traits such as Neuroticism and Conscientiousness are associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) pathophysiology in cognitively normal (CN) and impaired individuals, and may represent potential risk or resilience factors, respectively. This study examined the cross-sectional relationship between personality traits and regional tau deposition using positron emission tomography (PET) in cognitively normal older adults. A cohort of CN (Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) 0, n= 128) older adults completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory to assess traits of Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness and underwent tau-PET and β-amyloid (Aβ)-PET imaging. We utilized linear regression models, adjusting for age, sex, geriatric depression score, and Aβ to evaluate the association between each of the personality traits and regional tau-PET accumulation. Elevated Neuroticism scores were associated with higher tau-PET accumulation in the amygdala (p= .002), entorhinal cortex (p= .012), and inferior temporal cortex (p= .016), as well as with a composite tau-PET measure (p= .002). In contrast, Extroversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness were not associated with tau deposition in any of these regions (p's > 0.160). Our results indicate that increased Neuroticism is associated with higher tau pathophysiology in regions known to be vulnerable to AD pathophysiology in CN participants. High Neuroticism scores may therefore serve as a potential risk factor for tau accumulation. Alternatively, personality can change with the onset of AD, thus increased tau levels may affect Neuroticism scores. While future longitudinal studies are needed to determine directionality, our findings suggest early associations between Neuroticism and tau accumulation in CN adults.

Predictors of Episodic Memory Performance Across Educational Strata: Multiple-Group Comparisons.

Low educational attainment is a risk factor for more rapid cognitive aging, but there is substantial variability in cognitive trajectories within educational groups. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that confer resilience to memory decline within educational strata. We selected 2573 initially nondemented White, African American, and Hispanic participants from the longitudinal community-based Washington Heights/Inwood Columbia Aging Project who had at least two visits. We estimated initial memory (intercept) and the rate of memory decline (slope) using up to five occasions of measurement. We classified groups according to the educational attainment groups as low (≤5 years), medium (6-11 years), and high (≥12 years). We used a multiple-group latent growth model to identify the baseline predictors of initial memory performance and rate of memory decline across groups. The model specification considered the influence of demographic, socioeconomic, biomedical, and cognitive variables on the intercept and the slope of memory trajectory. Our results indicated that the three educational groups do not benefit from the same factors. When allowed to differ across groups, the predictors were related to cognitive outcomes in the highly educated group, but we found no unique predictor of cognition for the low educated older adults. These findings highlight that memory-protective factors may differ across older adults with distinct educational backgrounds, and the need to evaluate a broader range of potential resilience factors for older adults with few years of school.

Parenting in the face of serious illness: Childhood cancer survivors remember different rearing behavior than the general population

A child's cancer diagnosis and treatment affect the whole family. While it has been recognized that parents are an important resource for their children, little is known about the specifics of parenting in the face of serious illness. We used the Recalled Parental Rearing Behavior Questionnaire in a register-based cohort of adult childhood cancer survivors (CCS) (N=951) and a representative population sample of the same age range (N=2042). The questionnaire assesses behavior of mothers and fathers with three scales (emotional warmth, rejection/punishment, and control/overprotection) by querying the (former) child. We compared the two groups using general linear models. With a hierarchical linear regression analysis, we tested associations of recalled rearing behavior with disease- and treatment-related factors. Compared with the general population, CCS remembered both parents as emotionally warmer, more overprotective, and less punishing/rejecting and less ambitious. The regression analysis showed that having received radiotherapy (β=0.092; P=.009) and chemotherapy (β=0.077; P=.027) was positively related to memories of maternal emotional warmth. CCS remembered parenting styles which are generally deemed more positive. The extent of recalled control and overprotection deviated from the population in different directions, suggesting that parenting in childhood cancer entails more complex adaptations than being affectionate and giving comfort. The results suggest an adaptation of parental behavior to particularly challenging treatments. They highlight potential vulnerability and resilience factors, some of which were sex-dependent.

Higher sense of coherence is associated with better mental and physical health in emergency medical services: results from investigations on the revised sense of coherence scale (SOC-R) in rescue workers

ABSTRACT As rescue workers are regularly confronted with potentially traumatising on-duty events, they have an increased risk to develop trauma-related mental and physical health impairments, including post-traumatic, depressive, and somatic symptoms. For this high-risk group, it could be of particular importance to experience their occupational burden as manageable, meaningful, and coherent. This mindset – called sense of coherence – may be a potential resilience factor against the development of mental and physical health problems. In a cross-sectional cohort of 102 rescue workers (Mdn(QD)age = 26.0 (8.5), age range: 18−61), including 36 women, we investigated whether higher values on the Revised Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-R) predicted lower post-traumatic, depressive, and somatic symptoms. In addition, we evaluated the factor structure of the SOC-R using confirmatory factor analyses. Linear regressions indicated that higher SOC-R, but particularly manageability scores were associated with less post-traumatic (β = −.31, p = .009), depressive (β = −.44, p < .001), and somatic symptoms (β = −.36, p = .002). Furthermore, we found that all symptom scores significantly increased with occupational and private-life trauma exposure. The SOC-R’s factor structure was replicated, comprising the three subscales manageability, reflection, and balance. However, the SOC-R’s convergent factor validity was rather low in the present sample. Taken together, a high sense of coherence, and in particular a high manageability conviction, was observed as resilience factors for high-risk groups that are frequently exposed to potentially traumatic events. Future studies might investigate whether strengthening the sense of coherence could be one building block in an effective prevention program for maintaining long-term health in risk groups.