Significant Predictors Of Psychological Distress Research Articles

Psychological functioning of tsunami affected people with disabilities: Impact of age

The study determined differential psychological vulnerability of people with disabilities across different age groups in worst affected areas in tsunami disaster. A total of 275 tsunami affected people with various disabilities aged between 16 and 85 years were included in the final sample. Self Reporting Questionnaire (psychological distress), Impact of Event Scale (post-traumatic stress), and quality of life (QOL) were measured. People in their late adulthood and elderly years reported significantly higher psychological distress when compared with the teens and early adults and the young adults. People across different age groups reported equal posttraumatic stress. Increase in age resulted in more psychological distress and poor physical, social, and environmental QOL. Age and severity of disability were found to be significant predictors of psychological distress. The findings primarily supported the “differential vulnerability hypothesis” in the context of a disaster; therefore, implications are far reaching for the policy makers and planners, administrators/disaster managers, and mental health/psychosocial service providers. Long-term psychosocial and psychiatric interventions are suggested to be provided till the reconstruction and rebuilding phase continues.

Victimization, psychological distress and subsequent offending among youth

The current study examined the relationship between the victimization of youth, psychological distress and subsequent offending. It examined whether direct and vicarious victimization by exposure to violence in the family, among peers, and in the neighborhood, significantly predicted psychological distress among study participants and whether psychological distress significantly predicted subsequent offending over time. In addition, it examined the extent (if any) to which psychological distress mediated the relationship between victimization and subsequent offending. Method: study data are from wave 1 and wave 2 of the Buffalo Longitudinal Study of Young Men (BLSYM), a population based sample (n = 625) of young men, ages 16–19 years old in a metropolitan area of Buffalo, New York. A path analytic approach was used for the main analyses. Findings: personal, vicarious victimization by exposure to violence among peers, and perception of neighborhood safety were significant predictors of offending at wave 1. Personal and property victimization was significant predictors of psychological distress. Psychological distress did not have a significant relationship with offending at wave 1 yet, it did at wave 2. Vicarious victimization by exposure to violence among peers and offending at wave 1 were all significant predictors of offending at wave 2. The results highlight the need to respond to both direct and vicarious victimization among young males to reduce psychological distress and subsequent offending.

Pain Acceptance, Hope, and Optimism: Relationships to Pain and Adjustment in Patients With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

There is growing interest in the role that positive aspects of psychological adjustment, such as pain acceptance, hope, and optimism, may play in explaining adjustment in persons suffering from persistent pain. This study conducted in obese patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain (N = 89) examined the degree to which pain acceptance and hope explained pain intensity, pain unpleasantness, psychological distress, and pain-related disability, after controlling for the effects of optimism. In correlational analyses, pain acceptance and optimism were associated with psychological distress and pain disability with hope being related to only psychological distress. Pain acceptance, optimism, and hope were not significantly associated with pain. Hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analyses found that pain acceptance remained a significant predictor of psychological distress and pain disability after controlling for optimism, demographic, and medical variables. HLR analyses found that hope was not a significant predictor of psychological distress after controlling for optimism, pain acceptance, and demographic and medical variables. The results of this study are important because they indicate that pain acceptance, hope, and optimism are all related to pain adjustment. They also highlight the importance of controlling for optimism when examining the effects of pain acceptance and hope on pain adjustment. Perspective In a sample of obese patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain, pain acceptance was a significant predictor of psychological distress and pain disability even after controlling for optimism, demographic, and medical variables. These results add to the growing literature on the importance of pain acceptance in understanding adjustment to persistent pain.

Fear of Death, Mortality Communication, and Psychological Distress Among Secular and Religiously Observant Family Caregivers of Terminal Cancer Patients

Previous research suggests that caregivers and terminally ill patients face substantial difficulties discussing illness and death. Existing research, however, has focused primarily on the experience of patients. The current study compared responses as well as the relative strength of association between mortality communication, fear of death, and psychological distress (i.e., depressive symptomatology, emotional exhaustion) among secular and religiously observant family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients. A total of 236 participants were recruited over 18 months within the first year of caregiver bereavement. Retrospectively reported mortality communication was statistically greater among secular caregivers; in contrast, both fear of death and depressive symptoms were greater among the religiously observant. Path analyses subsequently revealed notable differences between groups. Among secular caregivers, a significant inverse relationship between mortality communication and the two indices of caregiver distress emerged. In contrast, the association between mortality communication and psychological distress among the religious was moderated by these caregivers' fear of death. The results of this study suggest that fear of death is a significant predictor of psychological distress among religiously observant caregivers of terminal cancer patients (i.e., fear of their own death as elicited by the caregiving role). Fostering morality communication between secular caregivers and patients would appear to be one means of reducing the likelihood of clinically significant psychological distress. This may be insufficient among religiously observant caregivers, however, for whom fear of death may first need to be redressed.

Predictors of Psychological Distress After Diagnosis in Breast Cancer Patients and Patients with Benign Breast Problems

The objective of this study was to determine how age and psychological characteristics assessed prior to diagnosis could predict psychological distress in outpatients immediately after disclosure of their diagnosis. This is a longitudinal and prospective study, and participants were breast cancer patients and patients with benign breast problems (BBP). Patients were asked to complete questionnaires to determine levels of the following: trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), negative emotional suppression (Courtauld Emotional Control Scale), life stress events (Life Experiences Survey), and psychological distress (Profile of Mood Status) prior to diagnosis. They were asked to complete a questionnaire measuring psychological distress after being told their diagnosis. We analyzed a total of 38 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 95 women diagnosed with a BBP. A two-way analysis of variance (prior to, after diagnosis × cancer, benign) showed that psychological distress after diagnosis among breast cancer patients was significantly higher than in patients with a BBP. The multiple regression model accounted for a significant amount of variance in the breast cancer group (model adjusted R(2) = 0.545, p < 0.001), and only trait anxiety was statistically significant (β = 0.778, p < 0.001). In the BBP group, the multiple regression analysis yielded a significant result (model adjusted R(2) = 0.462, p < 0.001), with trait anxiety and negative life changes as statistically significant factors (β = 0.449 and 0.324 respectively; p < 0.01). In both groups, trait anxiety assessed prior to diagnosis was the significant predictor of psychological distress after diagnosis, and might have prospects as a screening method for psychologically vulnerable women.

Health-related quality of life and psychological distress in polycystic ovary syndrome: a hidden facet in South Asian women

polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with symptoms that affect psychological wellbeing and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We wished to assess psychological distress and HRQoL among Sri Lankan women with PCOS. case-control study. Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. a total of 146 newly diagnosed women with PCOS, according to the Rotterdam criteria, and 170 age-matched controls recruited from community screening of 3030 eligible women between 15 and 39 years of age. World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF), validated for Sri Lankans with PCOS and a 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ30) were used to assess HRQoL and psychological distress, respectively. assessment of psychological distress, HRQoL and their correlates. the mean GHQ score was significantly higher (P < 0.001) among women with PCOS (5.25 ± 6.25 SD) than among controls (1.58 ± 1.46 SD), indicating greater psychological distress. Hirsutism in PCOS (defined as a Ferriman-Gallwey, FG, score ≥ 8) was significantly associated with psychological distress (P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis revealed the FG score as a significant predictor of psychological distress (P < 0.05). Mean scores for the physical, psychological and social relationships domains of the WHOQOL-BREF were significantly lower (P = 0.01) in women with PCOS than in controls, indicating poorer HRQoL. No significant predictors of HRQoL emerged from the multivariate analysis. Women with PCOS did not perceive excess body weight as a factor affecting their psychological wellbeing and HRQoL. PCOS occurring in South Asians adversely affects their psychological wellbeing and HRQoL. Their psychological distress is related to hirsutism rather than to obesity, which affects white Europeans with PCOS.

Contribution of the Psychosocial Work Environment to Psychological Distress Among Health Care Professionals Before and During a Major Organizational Change

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between 4 dimensions of the psychosocial work environment (psychological demands, decision latitude, social support, and effort-reward) among health care professionals as well as their psychological distress during a reorganization process. A correlational descriptive design was used for this quantitative study. A total of 159 health care professionals completed the questionnaire at T1, and 141 at T2. First, before the work reorganization, effort-reward imbalance was the sole variable of the psychological work environment that significantly predicted psychological distress. Second, the high overall level of psychological distress increased during the process of organizational change (from T1 to T2). Finally, effort-reward imbalance, high psychological demands, and low decision latitude were all significant predictors of psychological distress at T2, during the organizational change. In conclusion, to reduce the expected negative outcomes of restructuring on health care practitioners, managers could increase the number of opportunities for rewards, carefully explain the demands, and clarify the tasks to be performed by each of the employees to reduce their psychological burden and increase their perceptions of autonomy.

Religious coping among jews: development and initial validation of the JCOPE

Numerous studies have underscored the importance of religious coping in psychological health and illness; however, the majority of research in this area has been conducted with Christian samples and knowledge about other religious groups is lacking. Although recent investigations have developed scales to measure religious coping among Hindus and Muslims, the potential for future research in Jewish populations remains limited as no measures of religious coping have been validated in the general Jewish community. This two-part study reports on the development and validation of the 16-item Jewish Religious Coping Scale (JCOPE). In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis identified two factors reflecting positive and negative religious coping strategies, and the concurrent validity for the measure was evaluated by examining correlations with indices of Jewish beliefs and practices. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) verified the JCOPE's 2-factor structure, and the scale's incremental validity was evaluated by examining Jewish religious coping as a predictor of psychological distress over and above significant covariates. Results suggest that the JCOPE has good psychometric properties, and that religious coping is a significant predictor of psychological distress among Jews.

Mediators of the Relationship Between Internalized Oppressions and Lesbian and Bisexual Women's Psychological Distress

This study examined the relationship of internalized oppressions to the psychological distress of 304 lesbian and bisexual women. In addition, it investigated whether self-esteem and social support mediated the relationship between internalized oppressions and mental health. Results indicate that after controlling for education, internalized sexism (IS) and internalized heterosexism/internalized homophobia (IH) are significant predictors of psychological distress and account for 17% of the variance. The interactions between IS and IH are not significant predictors of psychological distress. Furthermore, results reveal that self-esteem and social support fully mediate the relationships between IH and psychological distress. Social support was also found to fully mediate the relationship between IS and psychological distress. However, no support was found for the mediational role of self-esteem in the link between IS and psychological distress. Research and practice implications are discussed.

Stress and psychological distress among trainee secondary teachers in England

The relationships between stress and psychological distress were investigated among a cohort of trainee secondary school teachers in England. Specifically, the study examined the structure of a Teacher Stress Scale and its relationship to mental health as measured by the 12‐item General Health Questionnaire. Three factors were identified: behaviour management, workload, and lack of support. Differences were identified between men and women in respect of stressors and psychological distress. Stress attributed to pupils’ disruptive behaviour and stress attributed to perceived occupational stress were found to be significant predictors of psychological distress. The findings are discussed in relation to the degree to which trainees are prepared for the challenges they are likely to experience as teachers.

The effect of pre-employment factors on job control, job strain and psychological distress: A 31-year longitudinal study

This study examined the role of pre-employment factors, such as maternal antenatal depression, low birth weight, childhood socioeconomic position, early adolescence health risk behaviours and academic performance, in the relationship between work characteristics (low job control and high job demands, or job strain) and psychological distress at age 31. The data of 2062 women and 2231 men was derived from the prospective unselected population-based Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort study. Results of linear regression models showed that being female, father's low socioeconomic position, and poor academic achievement in adolescence were linked to low control and high job strain jobs at age 31, and that low control and high job strain were associated with psychological distress at age 31. Although having lower school grades, high absence rate from school, and moderate alcohol consumption at age 14 were significant predictors of psychological distress at age 31, the associations between job control, job strain and psychological distress remained after controlling for these and other pre-employment effects. As such, pre-employment factors do seem to link people to risky work environments, which in turn seem to relate strongly to psychological distress. However, the relationship between pre-employment factors and later psychological distress in adulthood is not completely explained by job environment.

Family assessment in early psychosis

Some caregiver burden scales designed for chronic schizophrenia may be inappropriate for use with families of individuals who are experiencing a first-episode of psychosis (FEP). The aims of the study were to determine the usefulness for FEP families of the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), a scale originally designed for use with family members of Alzheimer's patients. The CBI, Experience of Caregiving Scale (ECI) and the Psychological General Well-Being Scale (PGWB) were administered to the relatives of 113 individuals with a FEP at admission to an early psychosis program and again at 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-ups. Ratings on the CBI improved significantly over the follow-up period. The CBI was significantly associated with the ECI and with ratings of psychological distress. The most significant predictor of psychological distress was ratings on the CBI and not the severity of symptoms or impaired functioning. Overall, the CBI appeared to be a reliable and valid measure for use with FEP families. This short and easy to score measure may be useful for families of young people presenting with FEP.

Psychological Distress Among Marginalized Women in the Outskirts of Beirut: Determinants and Association with Health Perception

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of psychological distress (PD) and its determinants in under-privileged women in the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon. A cross-sectional survey of 1,869 ever-married women aged 15-59 was carried out. PD levels were determined using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (Appendix). Health status, living conditions, social support, and physical symptoms as reported by women were recorded. Logistic regression was used to test the independent effect of each variable on PD. 46.6% of women had PD. Psychologically distressed women had more children, less education, lower income, less social support, an uncomfortable relationship with their husband, participated in the labor force and were more likely to reside in a predominantly Moslem community. Reporting a health or living problem were significant predictors of PD. The presence of limb, back and stomach pain, and headache were associated with PD. Compared to similar populations in other countries, our sample had a high prevalence of mental distress.

Heterosexism and Sexism as Correlates of Psychological Distress in Lesbians

This study examined the effects of external and internalized heterosexism and sexism on lesbians' mental health. Hierarchical regression analysis, controlling for education and income, identified recent sexual-orientation-based hate crime victimization, recent sexist events, internalized heterosexism, and the interaction of recent sexual-orientation-based hate crime victimization and recent sexist events as significant predictors of psychological distress, accounting for 31% of the variance.

The factor structure of generalized workplace harassment.

We describe the development and psychometric characteristics of the Generalized Workplace Harassment Questionnaire (GWHQ), a 29-item instrument developed to assess harassing experiences at work in five conceptual domains: verbal aggression, disrespect, isolation/exclusion, threats/bribes, and physical aggression. Over 1700 current and former university employees completed the GWHQ at three time points. Factor analytic results at each wave of data suggested a five-factor solution that did not correspond to the original five conceptual factors. We suggest a revised scoring scheme for the GWHQ utilizing four of the empirically extracted factors: covert hostility, verbal hostility, manipulation, and physical hostility. Covert hostility was the most frequently experienced type of harassment, followed by verbal hostility, manipulation, and physical hostility. Verbal hostility, covert hostility, and manipulation were found to be significant predictors of psychological distress.

In War’s Wake

This study examines war trauma experienced by Eritrean youth, their psychological symptoms, and contextual factors related to their psychosocial well-being in the postwar environment in Eritrea. The youth offered retrospective accounts of trauma experiences in semistructured interviews that included open- and closed-ended questions and the administration of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Among the ninety-seven youth in this school-based sample from four regions of Eritrea, exposure to trauma and economic hardship were significant predictors of psychological distress. Refugee status did not predict lower symptom levels, a factor related to the stressors encountered in exile as well as to the earlier war events that forced the youth and their families to flee their country. For many youth, grief over the loss of parents and close relatives was not resolved. The youth were generally positive about the future, both personal/.v and in the context of a free and independent Eritrea. This article suggests that the intrapsychic post-traumatic stress disorder framework may be too narrow for conceptualizing war trauma, which is essentially psychosocial in nature, and deeply contextualized in a community’s socioeconomic and political realities of conflict and its aftermath. Expanding this knowledge base is important in order to ensure that practitioners and policy makers can effectively assist youth and their families with the postconflict tasks of healing and reintegration, essential elements of building a lasting peace.

Relation between social problem‐solving appraisals, work stress and psychological distress in male firefighters

AbstractThe relationship between social problem‐solving appraisals, work (organizational and incident‐related) stress and psychological distress was assessed in 78 firefighters from three divisions of a UK regional Fire Service using an anonymous self‐report questionnaire. The results of an hierarchical regression analysis indicated that work stress and problem‐solving appraisal accounted for a significant amount of the variance (49 per cent) in psychological distress scores. A small but significant amount of additional variance was accounted for by the interactions between organizational and incident‐related stress and problem‐solving appraisals. More specific analysis indicated that of the six problem‐solving appraisal dimensions, the approach factor was the only significant predictor of psychological distress, after work stress levels were controlled. Individuals in different fire service ranks reported similar levels of organizational stress, self‐appraised problem solving and psychological distress, although watch members had higher incident‐related stress levels than senior officers. There were also differences in the pattern of organizational and incident‐related stressors between fire service ranks. Results are discussed in terms of the influence of problem‐solving appraisals on work stress and psychological distress, and the potential importance of such appraisals in intervention strategies for stress management in the fire service. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Cancer and Psychological Distress

Summary Social problem-solving ability has previously been found to be an important coping mechanism in predicting distress reactions to stressful events in the general population. This article describes two studies that empirically evaluated the applicability of these findings to the psychooncology literature by assessing the relationship between distress and problem-solving in two different groups of cancer patients. In Study 1, 105 patients with recently diagnosed cancer completed inventories addressing social problem-solving, symptoms of distress, and cancer-specific problems. The results indicated that the patients who were less effective problem-solvers also reported higher levels of anxiety and depression as well as more cancer-related problems. Study 2 involved 64 women who had undergone surgery for breast cancer between 1 and 13.3 years earlier. A self-report of negative life events served to control for the effects of recent Stressors. The results of this study indicated that less problem-solving ability was a significant predictor of psychological distress, whereas time since surgery was not associated with cancer-related distress. Together, the two studies provide strong initial support for the existence of an important relationship between social problem-solving and cancer-related distress.

Vietnamese Amerasians: Predictors of Distress and Self‐Destructive Behavior

There have been few empirical studies of Vietnamese Amerasians, children fathered by United States servicemen and civilians during the Vietnam War. In this study, the authors investigated pre‐ and postmigration variables that predict psychological distress and self‐destructive behavior. The sample (N = 169) was selected from 10 cities throughout the United States. Multivariate regression analyses were used to determine the predictors of distress. Results revealed that observing traumatic events rather than actually experiencing trauma was a significant predictor of psychological distress. Participants with frequent cognitions about loss of significant people, places, or both were more likely to report psychological distress and self‐destructive behavior. Implications for research and practice are discussed in relationship to cross‐cultural counseling with at‐risk populations, including individuals from inner cities and war‐stricken environments.

The changing workforce, job stress, and psychological distress.

The change in the United States from a manufacturing economy to a service economy has important implications for theoretical models of the relationships between job characteristics and workers' psychological distress. A sample of 600 men and women employed full-time were recruited to test 2 theoretical models. The job demand-control model posits that jobs that are both high in job demands and low in decision latitude are associated with greater psychological distress. The job demand-service model posits that jobs that are high in job demands and low in service to others are associated with greater psychological distress. Results show that the job demand-control model is a significant predictor of psychological distress among employees in the manufacturing industry, whereas the job demand-service model is a significant predictor of psychological distress among employees in the services industries.