Psychosocial Resilience Research Articles

Factors Affecting Resiliency in Outpatient Pediatric Occupational Therapist

<h3>Research Objectives</h3> 1. To investigate the resilience of pediatric occupational therapy practitioners during the Covid-19 pandemic. 2. To investigate the factors that may contribute to resilience levels in occupational therapists. <h3>Design</h3> This short-term, mixed-methods study utilized an electronic survey that consisted of demographic, qualitative, and quantitative questions to examine what factors were in place to aid in the overall resilience of pediatric occupational therapy practitioners working in an outpatient setting. <h3>Setting</h3> Study setting included a pediatric outpatient clinic located in the suburbs of a small, midwestern city. <h3>Participants</h3> A voluntary response sample was recruited from an outpatient pediatric therapy clinic in Iowa. Eleven (n=11) occupational therapy practitioners met the inclusion criteria and completed at least 50% of the survey. <h3>Interventions</h3> Participants voluntarily completed the electronic survey that was shared via an anonymous survey link. Twenty-one survey questions collected demographic, qualitative, and quantitative data. <h3>Main Outcome Measures</h3> The survey included ten questions adapted from the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) which is used to measure optimism versus pessimism. Four additional qualitative questions were included to assess protective factors for psychosocial resilience and implications resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. <h3>Results</h3> The results of the LOT-R demonstrated that the participants who had prior resilience training did not display a greater level of resilience or perceived ability to overcome adversity when compared to those who did not have prior resilience training. Positive resilience themes that emerged from the qualitative data include having a support system, practicing safety precautions, and taking life one day at a time. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Future research should consider factors that support caregivers, specifically occupational therapy practitioners and their quality of life. By understanding what factors contribute to resilience levels, these factors can further be implemented and supported in the workplace environment. Targeted education and training for practitioners focused on resilience building should be considered. This implementation could lead to stronger support networks and reduced burnout and compassion fatigue resulting in better resilience outcomes. <h3>Author(s) Disclosures</h3> No known conflicts to declare.

Promoting wellbeing and empowerment via Youth First: Exploring psychosocial outcomes of a school-based resilience intervention in Bihar, India.

Youth worldwide are struggling with increased mental health concerns. As youth in low- and middle-income countries make up more than 20% of the world's population, finding ways to improve their psychosocial wellbeing is crucial. CorStone's Youth First program is a school-based psychosocial resilience program that seeks to improve the mental, physical, social, and educational wellbeing of early adolescents. The program is delivered via trained government schoolteachers who facilitate students' learning and development in small groups using a discussion and activity-based curriculum. In August 2021, a study among 322 adolescents was conducted to investigate and compare program participants' and non- participants' understanding and use of inter- and intra-personal psychosocial skills. Focus group discussions were held with students in eight intervention schools and four comparable schools not receiving the intervention (control). Through the focus group discussions, students provided their opinions, thoughts, and ideas about vignettes describing challenges that youth in their communities frequently face, including early marriage and financial pressures. Analysis integrated qualitative and quantitative approaches, consisting of an iterative thematic analysis process followed by quantizing data and conducting t-tests. Youth who had received Youth First had greater awareness of problems, perspective-taking, problem-solving strategies, helping approaches, awareness of their own strengths, and visions for the future, when compared with the control group. Findings provide insights into potential outcomes for measurement in future evaluations of mental health promotion and prevention programs among youth in low- and middle-income countries.

Psychiatry, Crises and Policies

From the perspective of global societal crises, this paper discusses the long-term socio-political withdrawal of psychiatry into a self-defined position of therapy- and rehabilitation-oriented medicine with no responsibility for social, economic or political conditions. Global crises suggest mental health and overall resilience of the population as key societal resources. Only mental health and psychosocial resilience of people and societies worldwide will determine whether our answers to the current and future existential threats will be effective. This challenge requires a radical change of attitudes of both society and psychiatry. The rich expertise of psychiatry, e. g. on on how to balance autonomy and compulsion or regarding the interdependencies of cognition and human behaviour must contribute significantly to the socio-political debate and the fight against undesirable social or political developments.

Resilience and psychosocial functioning in schizotypy.

Understanding resilience has expanded our knowledge of certain risk and protective factors regarding the development of different forms of psychopathology. Particularly, a focus on resilience can be used to implement interventions and to target specific behaviors in hopes of mitigating the onset of a disorder or to alleviate symptoms. Less research on resilience has been done with individuals with psychosis, particularly schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Only 1 previous study has targeted individuals assessed for schizotypy. The current study examined associations between resilience and schizotypy features, assessed using self-report measures. Specifically, we compared 3 different resilience measures, social and occupational functioning, and 3 schizotypy measures in 3 different samples: undergraduate students (n = 878), adult community members (n = 120), and an Amazon Mechanical Turk adult community members (n = 329). Data analyses consisted of correlation and regression analyses, including tests for statistical moderation. Specifically, this study found negative associations between schizotypy and both psychosocial functioning and resilience. Although we predicted resilience would moderate the relations between schizotypy and psychosocial functioning, our analyses did not provide support for a moderating role for resilience. We discuss our findings in terms of understanding the relations among schizotypy, resilience, and psychosocial outcome constructs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Psycho-social impact of pandemic among COVID-19 survivors

Background: The clobber of COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented public health challenge that disrupted psycho-social resilience of the society projecting an ultimatum since SARS outbreak 2003. Considering the trend, it was decided to ascertain the psyche and mind-set of 72 COVID survivors (actual patients) those came in contact with the scholar during the pandemic in 2020-21 in Kolkata, India. Methods: A descriptive study employing convenient sampling, conducted by data collection through questionnaire that included socio-demographic and psycho-social data during Aug-Sep 2022. Psycho-social data included perception on health risk, social support, psychological reserve and psychological distress on 5-point Likert scale and was analyzed through suitable descriptive statistics. Result: Study found the basic traits of survivors like age, sex, employment, job-loss, co-morbidity and occurrence pattern of COVID-19 similar to other documented studies in India. The subjects displayed high health risk perception, satisfaction in Govt. regulation and other social services including food/provisions, need for ever-sought-after social support (57-63%), high psychological distress (82-88%) in the background strong psychological reserve (47-62%) indicating considerable agony during hard trying time. Conclusion: It is recommended that public health administration must conduct mental health audits during epidemic outbreaks for efficient management of community distress and provide online psycho-therapy in addition to traditional support.

Positive Psychology Themes in Interviews of Children With Atopic Dermatitis: Qualitative Study

BackgroundAtopic dermatitis is a pruritic chronic condition associated with significant sleep disturbance, inattention, and sometimes behavioral problems. Enhancing resiliency in children with atopic dermatitis may promote coping strategies to improve quality of life. Positive psychology is one strategy that can be used to strengthen resiliency.ObjectiveOur objective was to identify positive psychology concepts mentioned by children with atopic dermatitis and their parent to inform strategies to strengthen resiliency in children with atopic dermatitis.MethodsA total of 20 patient-parent dyads were interviewed to share their experience with atopic dermatitis to help develop a novel psychologic intervention for atopic dermatitis. Patients were 8 to 17 years old and diagnosed with atopic dermatitis. Trained coders analyzed transcripts using a coding dictionary developed based on Seligman’s PERMA (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment) model of positive psychology. The frequency of unprompted mentions of PERMA themes and relevant quotations was captured. Transcripts were also separately coded for resiliency, which is the ultimate goal of PERMA.ResultsPositive psychology concepts were mentioned by 100% (20/20) of children and 95% (19/20) of parents. Engagement and relationships, both negative and positive aspects, were the most common unprompted PERMA themes mentioned by children (14/20, 70%) and parents (13/20, 65%). Emotion elicited the most negative comments from children (19/20, 95%) and parents (17/20, 85%). When analyzed for resiliency, 8 participants were identified with at least one resiliency code. On average, participants with a resiliency code mentioned PERMA concepts 9.1 (SD 4.7) times compared to those who mentioned none (mean 5.9, SD 4.6) (P=.14). When participants were stratified by disease severity, on average, more positive psychology concepts were mentioned by patients with mild atopic dermatitis (mean 13, SD 3.0) than those with moderate symptoms (mean 6.2, SD 4.9) or severe symptoms (mean 6.1, SD 4.0) (P=.03).ConclusionsAmong PERMA themes, engagement and relationships are the two most commonly mentioned categories for children with atopic dermatitis. Strategies targeting PERMA such as affirmations and positive reframing may improve psychosocial well-being and resiliency in pediatric atopic dermatitis. Future directions will look at incorporating “positive medicine” into atopic dermatitis treatment to not only relieve symptoms but also strengthen positive aspects of life.

Zmiany klimatu a zdrowie psychiczne: przegląd aktualnej literatury

This review article focuses on mental health implications of climate change. Global warming is likely to cause the severe widespread emergencies: extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, water-related disasters (i.e., flooding, hurricanes and coastal storms), extreme snow, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. Rising temperatures, sea level rise and extreme weather events have led to secondary and tertiary consequences, e.g., social disruption, impoverishment and population displacement. Mental health risks of climate change include greater stress, stressrelated disorders, anxiety, despair, depression, and suicidal ideation. Those risks can stem from climate-related natural disasters (e.g., extreme weather events), slower moving events (e.g., drought), or concern about the phenomenon of climate change itself. A focus on the impact of climate change on mental health can help enhance the understanding of factors that strengthen psychosocial resilience and adaptation, as well as design tailor-made local interventions. Proper psychosocial adaptation strategies for the upcoming mental health challenges of climate change require development of social capital and strengthening of institutional systems.

Psychosocial Resilience to Inflammation-Associated Depression: A Prospective Study of Breast-Cancer Survivors

Stress can lead to depression, in part because of activation of inflammatory mechanisms. It is therefore critical to identify resilience factors that can buffer against these effects, but no research to date has evaluated whether psychosocial resilience mitigates the effects of stress on inflammation-associated depressive symptoms. We therefore examined psychosocial resources known to buffer against stress in a longitudinal study of women with breast cancer (N = 187). Depressive symptoms and inflammation were measured over a 2-year period extending from after diagnosis into survivorship. Cancer-related stress and psychosocial resources—social support, optimism, positive affect, mastery, self-esteem, and mindfulness—were measured after diagnosis. As hypothesized, women who reported having more psychosocial resources showed weaker associations between stress and depressive symptoms and weaker associations between stress and inflammation-related depressive symptoms. Results highlight the importance of psychosocial resilience by demonstrating a relationship between psychosocial resources and sensitivity to inflammation-associated depressive symptoms.

Utilization of an Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Platform to Evaluate the Psychosocial and Quality-of-Life Experience Among a Community Sample of Ovarian Cancer Survivors.

Novel distress screening approaches using electronic patient-reported outcome (ePRO) measurements are critical for the provision of comprehensive quality community cancer care. Using an ePRO platform, the prevalence of psychosocial factors (distress, post-traumatic growth, resilience, and financial stress) affecting quality of life in ovarian cancer survivors (OCSs) was examined. A cross-sectional OCS sample from the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition-Illinois Chapter completed web-based clinical, sociodemographic, and psychosocial assessment using well-validated measures: Hospital Anxiety/Depression Scale-anxiety/depression, Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, Brief Resilience Scale, comprehensive score for financial toxicity, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Ovarian (FACT-O/health-related quality of life [HRQOL]). Correlational analyses between variables were conducted. Fifty-eight percent (174 of 300) of OCS completed virtual assessment: median age 59 (range 32-83) years, 94.2% White, 60.3% married/in domestic partnership, 59.6% stage III-IV, 48.8% employed full-time/part-time, 55.2% had college/postgraduate education, 71.9% completed primary treatment, and median disease duration 6 (range < 1-34) years. On average, OCS endorsed normal levels of anxiety (mean ± standard deviation = 6.9 ± 3.8), depression (4.1 ± 3.6), mild total distress (10.9 ± 8.9), high post-traumatic growth (72.6 ± 21.5), normal resilience (3.7 ± 0.72), good FACT-O-HRQOL (112.6 ± 22.8), and mild financial stress (26 ± 10). Poor FACT-O emotional well-being was associated with greater participant distress (P < .001). Partial correlational analyses revealed negative correlations between FACT-O-HRQOL and anxiety (r = -0.65, P < .001), depression (r = -0.76, P < .001), and total distress (r = -0.92, P < .001). Yet, high FACT-O-HRQOL was positively correlated with post-traumatic coping (r = 0.27; P = .006) and resilience (r = 0.63; P < .001). ePRO assessment is feasible for identification of unique psychosocial factors, for example, financial toxicity and resilience, affecting HRQOL for OCS. Future investigation should explore large-scale, longitudinal ePRO assessment of the OCS psychosocial experience using innovative measures and community-based advocacy populations.

Identifying Risk and Resilience Factors in the Intergenerational Cycle of Maltreatment: Results From the TRANS-GEN Study Investigating the Effects of Maternal Attachment and Social Support on Child Attachment and Cardiovascular Stress Physiology.

IntroductionChildhood maltreatment (CM) is a developmental risk factor and can negatively influence later psychological functioning, health, and development in the next generation. A comprehensive understanding of the biopsychosocial underpinnings of CM transmission would allow to identify protective factors that could disrupt the intergenerational CM risk cycle. This study examined the consequences of maternal CM and the effects of psychosocial and biological resilience factors on child attachment and stress-regulatory development using a prospective trans-disciplinary approach.MethodsMother-child dyads (N = 158) participated shortly after parturition (t0), after 3 months (t1), and 12 months later (t2). Mothers’ CM experiences were assessed at t0, attachment representation at t1 and psychosocial risk and social support were assessed at t1 and t2. At t2, dyads participated in the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP). Children’s attachmen status were classified as organized vs. disorganized, including their level of disorganized behavior, and heart rate (HR) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were recorded as stress response measures of the autonomic nervous system. Maternal caregiving during SSP was assessed using the AMBIANCE scale. Child’s single nucleotide polymorphisms rs2254298 within the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and rs2740210 of the oxytocin gene (OXT) were genotyped using DNA isolated from cord blood.ResultsMaternal CM experiences (CM+) were significantly associated with an unresolved attachment status, higher perceived stress and more psychological symptoms. These negative effects of CM were attenuated by social support. As expected, maternal unresolved attachment and child disorganized attachment were significantly associated. Maternal caregiving did not mediate the relationship between maternal and child attachment but influenced children’s HR and RSA response and disorganized behavior. Moreover, the rs2254298 genotype of the OXTR gene moderated the stress response of children from mothers with CM. Children carrying the rs2740210 risk allele of the OXT gene showed more disorganized behavior independent from maternal CM experiences.ConclusionWe replicated and extended existing CM and attachment models by co-examining maternal attachment, social support, and child genetic susceptibility on child attachment and cardiovascular stress regulation. The findings contribute to an extended understanding of risk and resilience factors and enable professionals to target adequate services to parents and children at risk.

Intersectional stigma and developmental competence among youth living with HIV

AbstractHIV continues to heavily burden vulnerable groups including youth, racial/ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. Youth living with HIV (YLWH) experience intersecting stigmas that may produce disruptive effects as they navigate adolescence. Considering the dual roles of development and intersectionality, we produce an integrated framework pulling on the constructs of the Process Person Context Time Model—a developmental framework—and the Stigma and HIV Disparities Model—an intersectional framework—to produce a nuanced examination of the processes, persons, and contexts supporting psychosocial and biological resilience among YLWH. Implications for future directions such as expanding theoretical frameworks to address both the developmental and intersectional challenges experienced by YLWH (and/or living with other stigmatized illnesses) and creating policies and practices that support the health of vulnerable youth are discussed.

A Mental Imagery Micro-Intervention to Increase Positive Affect in Outpatient CBT Sessions (PACIfIC): Study Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Implementation Trial.

Recent findings indicated that mental disorders are associated with both an up-regulation of negative affect and a down-regulation of positive affect (PA) as distinct processes. Established treatment approaches focus on the modification of problems and negative affect only. Experimental paradigms in healthy samples and research on strengths-based approaches showed that fostering PA may improve psychotherapy process and outcome. Specific and easily implementable interventions targeting PA in treatment sessions are scarce. Mental imagery was shown to be a promising strategy for boosting positive emotional experiences. The PACIfIC-study is planned as a longitudinal randomized-controlled trial in the context of cognitive behavioral therapy, implemented at a German outpatient training and research center. In the process analysis, trajectories of PA over the first twelve treatment sessions will be examined with weekly questionnaires. In the intervention analysis, a six-minute positive mental imagery intervention to enhance PA will be developed and tested. The intervention is implemented with loudspeakers at the beginning of each session for a standardized induction of PA. The experimental group will be compared to an active control group (neutral mental imagery) and treatment as usual. Procedures in all treatment arms are parallelized. Main outcomes after twelve sessions of psychotherapy will be psychosocial resources, resilience and self-esteem (theory-driven), as well as psychopathology and working alliance (secondary outcome). Multilevel modeling will be conducted to address the nested data structure. Study results may have implications on the consideration of positive constructs in mental disorders and the implementation of strengths-based interventions in psychotherapy.

Children's Mental Health During the First Two Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Burden, Risk Factors and Posttraumatic Growth - A Mixed-Methods Parents' Perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying containment measures such as physical distancing and school closures led to major changes in children’s everyday lives. By means of a mixed-methods study, the “Tyrolean COVID-19 Children’s Study” investigated the effects of the pandemic and factors influencing mental health and health-related quality of life of North Tyrolean (Austria) and South Tyrolean (Italy) children aged 3–13 years. Parents filled out N = 2,691 online questionnaires (951 preschool children: 3–6 years; 1,740 schoolchildren: 7–13 years) at four measurement time points (March 2020, December 2020, June 2021, December 2021). For both age groups, children’s mental health outcomes (internalising problems, posttraumatic stress symptoms) were worse in December 2021 (t4) than children’s mental health outcomes in March 2020 (t1). With regard to aggressive behaviour, this difference was only found among schoolchildren. Thematic analysis of an open ended, written question revealed the following positive changes in children during the Corona crisis: (1) the importance of intra- and extra-familial relationships, (2) new competences and experiences, (3) values and virtues, (4) use of time, and (5) family strength. Using multilevel modelling, threat experience, economic disruption, and perceived posttraumatic growth were shown to be the strongest predictors of all outcomes. Additionally, male gender was shown to be a predictor of aggressive behaviour. In terms of age, schoolchildren showed more internalising problems, aggressive behaviour, and threat experience than preschool children. With regard to time, parents in December 2021 reported more threat experience in older children and less perceived posttraumatic growth in both older and younger children, than parents at the beginning of the pandemic. Targeted support for vulnerable children may prevent longer-term development of psychopathologies and contribute to society’s psychosocial resilience in the current COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, sustainable promotion of children’s posttraumatic growth can also contribute to children’s mental health and could even offer a chance to turn the crisis into an opportunity.

Discrimination, Racial Identity, and Hypertension Among Black Americans Across Young, Middle, and Older Adulthood.

Substantial evidence documents the protective role of racial identity-or the meaning and significance that individuals attribute to race-among Black Americans, yet the impact of racial identity on physical health outcomes beyond young adulthood is unclear. To clarify the extent to which racial identity remains influential for physical health across the life course, this study investigated (a) the direct associations between discrimination, racial identity, and hypertension, (b) whether racial identity buffered the negative effects of discrimination, and (c) the extent to which these patterns varied among young (21-35), middle-aged (36-49), and older (>50) Black adults. Data from the Nashville Stress and Health Study (N = 627) were used to examine two identity dimensions: "racial centrality" (i.e., importance of Black identity to one's sense of self) and "closeness to other Black people" (COBP). Modified Poisson models estimated relationships between racial identity, discrimination, and hypertension. Interactions determined whether racial identity moderated the discrimination-hypertension association within and across age groups. High centrality and moderate COBP were directly linked to elevated hypertension odds among young adults, but lower odds among older adults; racial identity was not directly associated with hypertension among middle-aged adults. Results also indicated that racial identity conditioned the discrimination-hypertension relationship in distinct ways across age groups. Findings underscore the significance of racial identity as sources of both psychosocial vulnerability and resilience for minority aging. Clinicians and public health professionals should consider racial identity beyond young adulthood to promote healthy aging via hypertension management among Black Americans.

When Resilience Becomes Risk: A Latent Class Analysis of Psychosocial Resources and Allostatic Load Among African American Men.

There is a well-established link between psychosocial risks and psychological health among African American (AA) men. Yet, the psychosocial sources and physical health consequences of resilience (i.e., the ability to maintain good health despite adversity) remain underexplored. Using data from 283 AA men in the Nashville Stress and Health Study, the present study investigated the links between psychosocial resilience and allostatic load (AL), a biological indicator of physiological dysregulation. Latent class analysis (LCA) identified distinct resilience profiles comprising eight psychosocial resources across four categories: coping strategies, sense of control, racial identity, and social support. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests determined significant class differences in men’s AL scores. LCA results confirm a four-class model was the best fit: Class 1 (high resources, 32%), Class 2 (high coping but low control, 13%), Class 3 (low resources but high racial identity, 20%), and Class 4 (low resources but high mastery, 34%). Results reveal lower AL (better health) among Classes 1 (m = 0.35) and 4 (m = 0.31) and higher AL (worse health) among Classes 2 (m = 0.44) and 3 (m = 0.44). Findings indicate that the “quality” rather than the “quantity” of psychosocial resources matters for physical health among AA men, as positive health outcomes were observed among both low- and high-resource classes. Results suggest different resource combinations produce distinct patterns of resilience among AA men and underscore the need to further elucidate complex resilience processes among this population.

WEBB FELLOW: Promoting Psychosocial Recovery, Resiliency and Re-integration in Burn Patients in the Inpatient and Outpatient Setting

WEBB FELLOW: Promoting Psychosocial Recovery, Resiliency and Re-integration in Burn Patients in the Inpatient and Outpatient Setting

Ego-resilience and Pain Catastrophizing Modulate Momentary Pain-affect Dynamics in Sickle Cell Disease: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Pilot Study

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary blood disorder that predominantly impacts African Americans (in the U.S.), and commonly results in chronic pain and affective distress. Research on modifiable psychosocial risk and resilience factors modulating the effect of SCD-related pain on affective functioning is limited. The present study investigated the moderating roles of daily ego-resilience (i.e., the capacity to flexibly adapt to stressors) and daily pain catastrophizing (i.e., worry, rumination and magnification of pain) on the associations between momentary pain and affect in a sample (n = 25) of SCD patients. Adult SCD patients provided momentary affect and pain intensity ratings via smartphones in response to random ecological momentary assessments over a 2-week period. Day-level ego resilience and pain catastrophizing were assessed each evening. Momentary and day-level predictors were person-mean centered. Linear mixed models allowing for random intercepts tested the associations between pain and affect, and moderation by daily ego resilience and pain catastrophizing. Daily ego resilience moderated the association between momentary pain and positive affect (p = .03), such that the inverse momentary association of pain and positive affect was attenuated on days when ego resilience was high. Daily pain catastrophizing moderated the association between pain and negative affect (p = .005) such that days of elevated pain catastrophizing were characterized by stronger momentary associations between pain and negative affect. Ego resilience and pain catastrophizing may be meaningful intervention targets in the context of SCD due to their capacity to modulate the dynamic associations between pain and affect. Grant support from NIH U54EB020404 NINDS T32NS070201 NIDA T32DA007209

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support during a Pandemic in Families

Indonesia and the world community are currently still busy with the outbreak of the corona virus pandemic (Covid-19). The increase in the number of cases and the impact of the pandemic felt by all levels of society including the family as the smallest unit. The presence of Covid-19 is a stressor for the community which can have an impact on mental and psychosocial health. Depression and anxiety about an illness cause strong emotional disturbances in both adults and children. Nurses' support for families in providing education and increasing mental health and psychosocial resilience is a priority during the current pandemic. PSKDJI data on mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic recorded 66% depression, 63% experiencing anxiety from 1,552 respondents. The purpose of this activity is to increase knowledge and ability to overcome psychosocial problems for families during a pandemic. The activities carried out are providing education accompanied by relaxation exercises. The participants' speed decreased from 9 (30%) to 2 (7%) after education and relaxation exercises.

Contribution of psychosocial vulnerability and resilience to academic achievement of primary school children in South Africa

AbstractThe aim of this article is to explore the contribution of psychosocial vulnerability and resilience to the academic achievement of primary school children attending a low‐fee, private, primary school in a township in Gauteng province, South Africa. In poorer communities, family and community challenges can be overwhelming, compromising the capacity of children to engage in education and achieve academically. The study draws on quantitative data from 116 primary school children, plus at least one family member (mostly mothers), including measures of family vulnerability and resilience, child resilience and reading and spelling scores. Vulnerability on its own had little impact on participants' academic achievement. However, the resilience of the child, as perceived by the family member, did impact academic achievement, but only for children with higher levels of vulnerability. This supports the buffering and differential impact theories in resilience. Implications for school social work practice are set out.

Abstract P202: Optimism Moderates The Effects Of Neighborhood Disadvantage On Incident Heart Failure Among African-Americans In The Jackson Heart Study (JHS) And Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study

Background: African-Americans experience a disproportionate burden of heart failure. Although previous research has identified neighborhoods as an important contributor to these disparities, less is understood about how psychosocial resilience factors, such as optimism, may provide protection from the effects of neighborhood disadvantage on heart failure risk. We tested the hypothesis that higher levels of optimism will attenuate the associations between greater neighborhood disadvantage and higher incidence of heart failure. Methods: Among 1,448 African-Americans dually enrolled in two community-based cohorts in Jackson, Mississippi—JHS and the ARIC study—who were free of heart failure as of January 1, 2000, 459 failure events classified by reviewer panel accrued through December 31, 2019. Multi-level age- and sex-adjusted Cox regression models with interaction terms were used to examine whether individual-level optimism moderated the associations of four measures of census tract-level neighborhood socioeconomic and social environment characteristics (the national Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a JHS neighborhood disadvantage score, racial residential segregation, and perceived physical disorder) on individual-level incident hospitalized heart failure. Results: Optimism moderated the associations of some neighborhood disadvantage measures (ADI and JHS neighborhood disadvantage score) on hospitalized heart failure risk (Table). Compared to participants reporting the lowest level of optimism, those in the highest tertile had 12%, 6%, 16%, and 9% lower rates of heart failure associated with increasing neighborhood disadvantage, respectively for each exposure. Interaction estimates for racial residential segregation and perceived physical disorder did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Optimism may provide resilience to the detrimental effects of neighborhood disadvantage on risk for heart failure.