Psychological Protective Factors Research Articles

The longitudinal relationship between self-compassion and cancer patients' unmet supportive care needs.

Unmet supportive care needs are associated with psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. However, so far, few studies have explored the protective psychological factors of unmet needs. Therefore, this study intends to explore the protective effect of self-compassion on unmet needs of Chinese cancer patients and to examine the predictive role of self-compassion on these needs during treatment. A longitudinal study was performed at Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital in Xi'an, China. A total of 153 heterogeneous cancer patients were assessed after the first diagnosis (T1), at the beginning (T2) and end (T3) of medical treatment. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to examine the research questions. Cross-sectional regression analyses showed that self-compassion at T1 was significantly related to psychological needs at T1. Negative self-compassion at T1 was significantly related to total unmet needs, psychological needs, health system, and information and sexual needs. Longitudinal regression analyses showed that self-compassion at T1 significantly predicted total unmet needs; health system and information (HSI) needs at T2, psychological needs at T3, and negative self-compassion at T1 significantly predicted total unmet needs, HSI needs, physical needs, and patient care needs at T2 when controlling for unmet needs at T1. Positive self-compassion was not a predictor of unmet needs. Self-compassion can be a protective factor of unmet needs in cancer patients. Future intervention studies should focus on improving the overall level of self-compassion and reducing the level of negative self-compassion in cancer patients to reduce patients' unmet needs.

Clinical mental health interventions with adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review

Introduction/objective: Although social distancing measures affect adults, they have caused greater negative impacts in adolescents, especially for not being able to interact with peers at school. The study aimed to investigate the scientific production regarding psychosocial clinical mental health interventions with adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The search was carried out in the Embase, PsycNET, Pubmed, Scopus, and Scielo databases, covering the period from 2020 to 2023. Sixteen articles that met the pre-established inclusion criteria were analysed. Results: Regarding the psychological risk factors that the interventions sought to reduce, it was found that depression 50% (n = 8) and anxiety 43.7% (n = 7) were the most frequently selected outcomes in the studies. The interventions also sought to improve protective psychological factors (n = 9) such as resilience, coping, quality of life, well-being and emotional intelligence. Conclusions: It was possible to verify that several therapeutic methods can promote the mental health of adolescents in periods of social isolation, the main one according to the evidence, being mindfulness.

Associations between psychological risk and protective profiles and cognitive status in two independent cohorts

AbstractBackgroundPositive and negative psychological factors represent pertinent moderators of relative risk and protection for cognitive decline and dementia. For example, repetitive negative thinking has been associated with accelerated cognitive decline and AD pathology1, whereas self‐reflection and purpose in life have been related to better cognition and cognitive resilience2,3. Existing studies predominately focus on individual factors, thus it is unknown whether psychological profiles, combining risk and protective features, are differentially associated with cognitive function.MethodIndividuals without objective cognitive impairment were included from two European studies: the middle‐aged Barcelona Brain Health Initiative (N = 741) 4 and the older‐adult Medit‐Ageing (N = 279)5,6 cohorts. Self‐report questionnaires to assess levels of psychological risk and protective factors were completed and global cognitive assessments obtained in both studies (Table 1). Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was performed on psychological questionnaire data to identify statistically different groups of individuals in each cohort separately. ANCOVA (adjusting for age, sex, and education), were then conducted to compare different psychological profiles according to cognitive status.ResultLPA identified a three‐class solution in both cohorts (Table 1 and Figure 1): “low levels of psychological protective factors” (class‐1), “high levels of psychological risk factors” (class‐2), and “average levels of psychological risk and protective factors” (class‐3). In both cohorts, psychological profile membership was significantly associated with cognition. Specifically, individuals with low levels of psychological protective factors had worse global cognitive function compared with individuals with other profiles (BBHI: F:6.05, p<0.002; Medit‐Ageing: F:7.99, p<0.001; Figure 2).ConclusionIndividual psychological risk and protective factors aggregated into three identifiable psychological profiles that were evident across two independent cohorts. In both cohorts, having a psychological profile with low levels of protective factors rather than high levels of risk factors, was associated with worse global cognitive function. Such observations may have implications for future, more personalized, application of psychological therapies contributing to dementia prevention.

Breaking (Fake) News: No Personal Relevance Effect on Misinformation Vulnerability.

The massive spread of fake news (FN) requires a better understanding of both risks and protective psychological factors underlying vulnerability to misinformation. Prior studies have mostly dealt with news that do not bear any direct personal relevance to participants. Here, we ask whether high-stakes news topics may decrease vulnerability to FN. Data were collected during the national lockdown in Italy (COVID-19 news) and one year later (political news). We compared truth discrimination and overall belief for true news (TN) and FN concerning COVID-19 and political topics. Our findings indicate that psychological risk and protective factors have similar effects on truth discrimination, regardless of whether the news topic is highly or minimally personally relevant. However, we found different effects of psychological factors on overall belief, for high and low personal relevance. These results suggest that, given a high level of cognitive dissonance, individuals tend to rely on proximal or emotional sources of information. In summary, our study underscores the importance of understanding the psychological factors that contribute to vulnerability to misinformation, particularly in high-stakes news contexts.

Psychological protective factors and individual functioning during the Covid-19 pandemic

Psychological protective factors and individual functioning during the Covid-19 pandemic

Exploring protective psychological factors of healthcare professionals during COVID-19 in Singapore: A qualitative study

This qualitative study aimed to explore the psychological impact of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on frontline healthcare professionals (HCPs) both in primary care and hospital emergency departments in Singapore, to understand (1) the experience of HCPs during the outbreak, the new challenges faced on the job, how they were affected psycho-socially, (2) the support received, and (3) the protective factors of psychological distress. Purposive sampling was used to identify frontline HCPs, and those in managerial positions leading clinical teams. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 39 participants from June to November 2020 via a video-conferencing platform, audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis using an inductive approach was conducted to elicit themes. We identified themes related to (i) the psychological impact they experienced, and (ii) the protective factors during this challenging period. In terms of psychological impact, work-related stressors such as physical burnout, loss of control and fear of infecting family were common themes. HCPs also experienced increased stress at home due to distancing measures they adhered to in order to protect their family. Themes related to psychological protective factors were also identified, such as resilience, team spirit, social support from peers, family and the public, and psychological readiness for the pandemic.

Cortisol Dysregulation and Protective Psychological Factors in Older Adulthood

Stressful experiences may elicit hyper- and hypo-secretion of cortisol, which both can compromise quality of life. Psychological factors that are useful for managing stress experiences may ameliorate such patterns of dysregulation and protect quality of life. It is examined how stress experiences and psychological factors can shape cortisol dysregulation during older adulthood. Data from a 12-year longitudinal study of older adults were analyzed (Montreal Aging and Health Study; N = 215). Participants were assessed every 2 years. Measures included stress experiences, cortisol output, psychological factors (e.g., control strategies or self-compassion), and indicators of quality of life (e.g., well-being and health). Analyses were performed using hierarchical regression analyses and multi-level modeling. Higher, as compared to lower, levels of stress perceptions were associated with increased cortisol output (AUC) at the beginning of the study, but predicted relatively reduced cortisol output after 12 years. In addition, high and increasing stress perceptions predicted a flattening of cortisol slopes over 12 years. In terms of psychological factors, the use of control strategies, self-compassion, and self-esteem modulated cortisol output during the study period. Stressful experiences can be associated with a complex pattern of cortisol dysregulation in older adulthood, changing from hyper- to hypo-secretion of cortisol as stress experiences remain high or increase over longer periods of time. Psychological responses to stress may modulate this pattern and could play an important role in maintaining older adults’ quality of life. Implications for studying cortisol regulation and stress management in older adulthood are discussed.

The association of psychological protective factors with caregiver mental health outcomes.

The primary objectives were to investigate the association of resilience, purpose-in-life, and social connections in additive combinations with mental health outcomes of caregivers: 1) reduced levels of loneliness and/or depression; and 2) higher levels of positive perception of aging and quality of life. The study sample was identified from adults age ≥65, who had completed a survey during May-June 2018 or May-June 2019, and self-identified as caregivers (N=1,015; 15.4%). Resilience, purpose-in-life, and social connections were dichotomized as high/low; then counted with equal weighting 0 to 3. Among caregiver respondents, 24%, 29%, 32%, and 15% had 0, 1, 2, or 3 of these protective factors, respectively. As the number of protective factors increased, loneliness and depression decreased and positive perception of aging and quality of life increased. Caregiver interventions that include a focus on psychological protective factors may help to buffer caregiving-related stress thereby improving mental health and quality of life.

The relationship between intolerance of uncertainty, coping style, resilience, and anxiety during the COVID-19 relapse in freshmen: A moderated mediation model.

The repeated outbreaks of COVID-19 and the rapid increase in uncertainty have had many negative effects on the public's mental health, especially on emotional aspects such as anxiety and depression. However, in previous studies, there are few studies exploring the positive factors between uncertainty and anxiety. The innovation of this study is the first to explore the mechanism of coping style and resilience as people's psychological protective factors between uncertainty and anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety of freshmen with coping style as mediating variable and resilience as moderating variable. A total of 1049 freshmen participated in the study and completed the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). SAS score of the surveyed students (39.56 ± 10.195) was significantly higher than that of the Normal Chinese score (29.78 ± 10.07, p < 0.001). Intolerance of uncertainty was significantly positively correlated with anxiety (β = 0.493, p < 0.001). Positive coping style has a significant negative impact on anxiety (β = -0.610, p < 0.001), negative coping style has a significant positive impact on anxiety (β = 0.951, p < 0.001). Resilience moderates the second half of the influence of negative coping style on anxiety (β = 0.011, t = 3.701, p < 0.01). The findings suggest that high levels of intolerance of uncertainty had negative effects mental burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. The knowledge of the mediating role of coping style and the moderating role of resilience may be used by health care workers when consulting freshmen with physical health complaints and psychosomatic disorders.

AAGP Session to Highlight Research on Resilience, Emotional Well-Being in Aging

AAGP Session to Highlight Research on Resilience, Emotional Well-Being in Aging

Associations between psychological factors, grey matter volume, and resistance and resilience to tau pathology in cognitively unimpaired older adults

AbstractBackgroundModifiable factors may influence risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) via two distinct, though not mutually exclusive, pathways: resistance and resilience to pathology. Whereas cognitive ‘resilience’ is defined as the maintenance of better‐than‐expected cognitive performance in the face of Aβ and tau pathology, ‘resistance’ refers to an absence or delaying of the pathology itself. We explored the potential influence of psychological factors on resistance and resilience to tau pathology in older adults at risk of AD dementia, and whether grey matter volume mediates these relationships.MethodMeasures of psychological factors (including mindfulness, optimism, purpose in life, Big‐5 personality traits, and affective symptoms), longitudinal cognitive assessments, and structural MRI scans were collected in 259 nondemented older adults, along with Aβ‐ and tau‐ positron emission tomography (PET) scans in a subset of 156 individuals. Relationships between psychological factors and entorhinal tau pathology, and between psychological factors and cognitive resilience to entorhinal tau pathology (quantified using the residuals method), were explored, controlling for age, sex, and global Aβ burden. Principal components analysis was then performed to reduce the psychological factors that were associated with resistance/resilience down to their underlying components. Relationships between the psychological components and grey matter volume were explored using voxel‐based morphometry analyses. Finally, the potentially mediating effect of grey matter volume on the relationships between the psychological components and resistance/resilience to pathology were examined.ResultOne principal component was associated with resistance to pathology, comprising mindful acting with awareness, perseverative thinking, conscientiousness, neuroticism, depression, purpose in life, and optimism. Two principal components were associated with resilience to pathology, the first comprising mindful nonjudgment, anxiety, and stress, and the second comprising extraversion and openness. These three principal components were associated with partially distinct patterns of grey matter volume, which overlapped in medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate cortices (Figure 1). Grey matter volume partially mediated the relationship between psychological factors and resistance, but not resilience, to pathology.ConclusionPsychological functioning may influence resistance and resilience to AD pathology in cognitively unimpaired older adults. Increased grey matter associated with different combinations of protective psychological factors may assist in the delaying or prevention of AD pathology.

Provision of a Multidisciplinary Post-Suicidal, Community-Based Aftercare Program: A Longitudinal Study.

Suicide is a global concern with rates in Australia continuing to increase. Effective post-suicidal care is critical for reducing persistent suicidal behaviour. One model of care is that adopted by Alfred Health, delivering a multidisciplinary, hybrid clinical and non-clinical (psycho-social support), assertive outreach approach. This study measured improvements in resilience and wellbeing, changes to distress and suicidal ideation at least 6-months post-discharge from care. Thirty-one consumers participated including a one-on-one interview to gather qualitative feedback. There was a significant change on all outcome measures with large effect sizes. Participants had significantly reduced suicidal ideation and distress and increased coping self-efficacy, hope and well-being. The qualitative findings indicated that a key component to recovery was the staff. Limitations included a low sample size, and broad time range of follow-up data collection. Providing assertive, multidisciplinary, collaborative and outreach-focused post-suicidal care can increase and sustain protective psychological factors and reduced suicidal ideation in most individuals.

What predicts wellbeing amidst crisis? A study of promotive and protective psychological factors among Malaysians during the COVID-19 pandemic

Resilience promotes psychological growth and buffers against the effects of negative events, but the factors that promote optimal wellbeing beyond resilience remain poorly understood. The current study addresses this gap through a positive psychology perspective by examining how (i) promotive factors – optimism and hope, and (ii) protective factors – nostalgia and spirituality promote wellbeing. We hypothesized that both factors will be positively related to wellbeing above and beyond that predicted by resilience. A representative sample of six hundred and twenty-six (n = 626; M age = 32.66, SD = 10.11, 43.45% female) Malaysians responded to an online survey at the end of the country’s second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (June-September 2020). We conducted a series of regression analyses, controlling for resilience, socio-economic status, age, and perceptions towards government crisis management efforts. Results indicate that optimism and hope positively predicted wellbeing above and beyond that predicted by resilience. Results also showed that the only significant protective factor contributing to wellbeing is spirituality. Nostalgia did not significantly predict wellbeing beyond resilience. The findings are of theoretical relevance for wellbeing and resilience research, and practically beneficial in informing mental health interventions.

The Double-Edged Sword of Safety Training for Safety Behavior: The Critical Role of Psychological Factors during COVID-19.

Safety training (ST) is the primary means of avoiding unsafe behaviors, but it has not achieved the expected impact on improving workplace safety because of the high psychological stress it brings to workers. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) further threatens workers’ psychological conditions, thereby diminishing the effectiveness of ST. However, the existing literature has mainly laid emphasis on the bright side of ST and neglected examining its impact on safety behavior (SB) from detrimental psychological factors. Drawing from the conservation of resources theory, a novel two-staged model was established to understand how these psychological factors mediate and moderate the association between ST and SB. We incorporated resource consumption (e.g., role overload (RO) and COVID-19-related task setbacks) and resource generation (e.g., psychological resilience) into the model to consider both detrimental and protective psychological factors against ST. We then implemented a time-separated, three-wave data collection on a sample of frontline workers to validate this hypothetical model. Consistent with our hypothesis, RO played a significant mediating role between ST and SB, that is, ST leads to RO, and in turn, holds up SB. Surprisingly, contrary to our hypothesis, COVID-19-related task setbacks weakened the negative and indirect impact of ST on SB via RO. This is one of the first empirical studies to highlight how detrimental psychological factors caused by ST constrict or amplify SB. In practice, the efficacy of ST can be enhanced by cultivating psychological resilience and clarifying employees’ job responsibilities to reduce the ambiguity of roles.

The association of physical activity with loneliness, social isolation, and selected psychological protective factors among older adults

The primary objectives were to investigate the association of physical activity levels with 1) loneliness and social isolation; 2) protective factors: resilience, purpose-in-life, and perception of aging; and 3) the impact of these factors on healthcare expenditure patterns across physical activity levels. The study sample was identified from adults age ≥65 who completed a health survey in 2018 or 2019 (N=6,652). Among survey respondents, the prevalence of low, moderate, and high physical activity levels was 29%, 31%, and 41%, respectively. Moderate and high physical activity were associated with 15%-30% lower likelihoods of loneliness and social isolation; and with 27% to 150% higher protective factors. In addition, physical activity was associated with the mitigation of increased healthcare expenditures associated with loneliness, social isolation, and low levels of protective factors. Thus, physical activity could serve as an intervention to reduce loneliness and social isolation, augment protective factors, and mitigate excess healthcare expenditures.

Increased Risk Perception, Distress Intolerance and Health Anxiety in Stricter Lockdowns: Self-Control as a Key Protective Factor in Early Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Studies provide evidence that distress, (health) anxiety, and depressive symptoms were high during the first weeks of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, decreasing over time (possibly due to individuals’ protective psychological factors). Relations between different lockdown restrictions, mental health issues, and protective factors need to be explored, since even small lockdown effects might increase the risk of future mental health issues. We merged objective lockdown stringency data with individual data (N = 1001) to examine differences in lockdown effects in strict lockdown (Romania) and mild lockdown (Hungary) conditions between March and May 2020 on stressors and mental health symptoms, taking protective factors into account. The stricter lockdown in Romania revealed higher levels of perceived risk of infection, distress intolerance, and COVID-19 health anxiety. Protective psychological factors were not affected by the lockdown measures. Surpassing psychological flexibility and resilient coping, self-control proved to be the most promising protective factor. It is recommended that future research merge objective data with study data to investigate the effects of different COVID-19 lockdown measures on mental health and protective factors. Policy decisions should consider lockdown-dependent consequences of mental health issues. Intervention programs are suggested to mitigate mental health issues and to strengthen peoples’ protective psychological factors.

Anxiety, Motives, and Intention for Physical Activity during the Italian COVID-19 Lockdown: An Observational Longitudinal Study.

Background: The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic led governments to adopt strict containment measures to avoid spreading the virus. These essential measures led to home confinement that influenced both the physical and mental health of populations. Physical activity plays a key role in preventing chronic diseases and promoting protective psychological factors. In the context of a lockdown, understanding the motives that guide people to enact physical activity is an important issue for public health. The present study aimed to evaluate the relation between autonomous motivation and physical activity, considering the role of behavioral intention and anxiety in a longitudinal moderated mediation model. Methods: Italian participants (N = 86; meanage = 29.74, standard deviation = 9.74; female = 53.5%) completed a booklet composed of different questionnaires (motivation, intention, anxiety, and physical activity) 3 weeks apart. Results: The hypothesized model is supported by the evidence; both autonomous motivation and intention are direct predictors of physical activity. The results also show that the direct effect of autonomous motivation on physical activity is stronger in participants with low anxiety, while high levels of anxiety are a significant moderator of the intention–behavior relation. Conclusions: In conclusion, a multidisciplinary approach should be promoting methods and infrastructures to permit people to adhere to physical activity, as a front line against any health emergency.

An Analysis Model of Psychological Resilience of Outstanding Poor College Students Based on Network Big Data and Mobile Computing

In recent years, the research on college students’ group resilience has come into the attention of the researchers, and many researchers have shown great interest in this issue. The development of college students’ psychological management system has become an important means for college students to monitor and prevent psychological crisis. The university student management database has accumulated a lot of data, but the data processing work is just simple statistics, storage, and query. Exploring the structure and development law of mental resilience of outstanding poor college students is of reference significance to the emotional education and spiritual growth of teenagers. When coping with setbacks, the outstanding poor college students have an elastic quality in mind, a firm goal in ideals and beliefs, good at thinking and summarizing cognitively, perseverance in will, self-confidence and indomitable personality, outstanding ability, and thinking about people’s interests in dealing with others; psychological protective factors include family, school, and social support. This paper analyzes the big data algorithm and the method of psychological elasticity construction using mobile computing technology and comes to the conclusion that under the background of big data, psychological elasticity construction plays a role in excellent poor college students. This paper studies the current situation of college students’ psychological elasticity, interpersonal trust, and subjective well-being and the relationship between them, discusses the interaction between them, and hopes to make a reasonable explanation for these problems, so as to provide effective help for college students’ mental health and future development.

The role of protective psychological factors, self-care behaviors, and HbA1c in young adults with type 1 diabetes.

To investigate whether protective psychological factors in young adults with type 1 diabetes are associated with more optimal self-care behaviors and HbA1c, and to explore possible mediators between protective psychological factors and HbA1c. This cross-sectional study examined the associations between protective psychological factors (optimism, positive efficacy expectancies, and self-compassion), maladaptive psychological factors (depression, anxiety, and stress), self-care behaviors, and HbA1c in 113 young adults (17-25 years) with type 1 diabetes in Auckland, New Zealand. Pearson's correlations, multiple linear regressions, and multiple mediation analyses were used to examine associations and mediators. Higher positive efficacy expectancies (beliefs about coping with difficulties) were associated with more optimal HbA1c (β=-0.26, 95% CI: -1.99 to -0.45) and more optimal self-care behaviors (β=0.33, 95% CI: 0.28 to 0.92) in the adjusted models. Higher levels of self-compassion were associated with more optimal self-care behaviors (β=0.27, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.43). Depression was associated with less optimal self-care behaviors (β=-0.35, 95% CI: -1.33 to -0.43) and stress was associated with less optimal HbA1c (β=0.26, 95% CI: 0.27 to 1.21). Mediation results suggested that self-care behaviors mediated the relationship between all three of the protective psychological factors and more optimal HbA1c, and that lower stress also mediated the relationship between higher self-compassion and more optimal HbA1c. This study adds to the emerging literature that protective psychological factors may play an adaptive role in improving health outcomes in young adults with type 1 diabetes. Interventions targeting protective psychological factors present a promising approach to optimizing wellbeing and self-care in youth with type 1 diabetes.

The Relationship Between Religious Orientation and Death Anxiety in Iranian Muslim Patients with Cancer: The Mediating Role of Hope.

Cancers are globally prevalent often life-threatening diseases that carry an immense psychological burden such as death anxiety. Thus, identifying protective psychological factors affecting death anxiety in individuals with cancer is of strong relevance. This study investigated the potential mediating role of hope in the relationship between religious orientation and death anxiety in Iranian patients with cancer. A cross-sectional design was used to evaluate death anxiety, hope, and religious orientation in a convenience sample of 320 patients (age range 18-89years) with cancer. Measures included demographic factors, health characteristics, and validated instruments of the study constructs. Path analysis was used to evaluate mediation models. The findings indicated a direct path from intrinsic religious orientation (β = -0.122, p < 0.001) to death anxiety and a direct path from hope (β = -0.258, p < 0.001) to death anxiety. However, when hope was introduced as a mediating variable, the relationship between intrinsic religious orientation and death anxiety became non-significant (β = 0.001, p = 0.983). In this study, hope largely explained the relationship between intrinsic religiosity and death anxiety. In countries such as Iran where religiosity is an important psychological construct, greater hope among the more intrinsically religious may help to explain why more deeply religious persons experience less anxiety.