Significant Predictors Of Psychological Distress Research Articles

Predicting Psychological Distress after Pediatric Concussion.

A significant proportion of children and adolescents report psychological distress following concussion, but little is known about the predictors of these problems. The purpose of this study was to examine predictive factors of psychological distress following pediatric concussion. It was hypothesized that the presence of pre-injury psychological distress would be the strongest predictor of psychological distress post-concussion, with other demographic and acute injury factors adding incrementally to prediction. This is a prospective, multi-center cohort. Children and adolescents (6-17 years old; n = 311) who sustained a concussion and were assessed through four pediatric emergency departments. Participants were reassessed at 4-weeks (n = 275) and 12-weeks (n = 190) post-injury. Emergency department (ED) assessment documented injury mechanism, acute symptomatology, acute cognitive functioning, and pre-injury functioning. Psychological distress at 4- and 12-weeks follow-up was categorized as present if one or more psychological scores from the parent-completed measures (Child Behavior Checklist, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) exceeded established cutoffs. The presence of psychological distress at each follow-up was predicted using multi-variable logistic regressions. Psychological distress was reported in 23% of youth at both 4- and 12-weeks post-concussion. A pre-injury diagnosis of anxiety and acutely forgetting recent information were significant predictors of psychological distress at 4 weeks, whereas worse acute orientation assessment in the ED predicted psychological distress at 12 weeks. Nearly one of four youth experienced psychological distress after concussion. Clinicians in acute care settings should screen for the factors (pre-injury anxiety, acute mental status) associated with post-injury psychological distress and consider proactively referring patients for further assistance.

Marital adjustment, convergent communication patterns, and psychological distress in women with early and late marriage

Early marriage among women is prevalent in Pakistan and is linked with a number of negative health outcomes. This study aimed to determine significant differences in marital adjustment, convergent communication patterns, and psychological distress in Pakistani women with early and late marriages. Further, it investigated the predictors of psychological distress in married women of Pakistan. Cross sectional design was used to select the sample of 100 women (50 with early marriage; 50 with late marriage) from Lahore, Pakistan. Marital Adjustment test (Locke & Wallace Marriage and Family Living, 21(3), 251–255, 1959), The Convergence Communication scale (Miller-Day & Jackson Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 29(8), 1036-1057, 2012) and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale- K10 (Kessler et al. Psychological Medicine, 32(6), 959-976, 2002) were administered. Results revealed that women with late marriages had higher marital adjustment, whereas, women with early marriages showed higher psychological distress. Regression analysis indicated low marital adjustment and interpersonal deference communication style as significant predictors of psychological distress in married women. The findings of this study may help service providers to recognize the impact of early and late marriage on women’s psychological health.

Health-related quality of life and psychological distress among cancer survivors in a middle-income country.

Quality of life and psychological well-being are important patient-centered outcomes, which are useful in evaluation of cancer care delivery. However, evidence from low-income and middle-income countries remains scarce. We assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and prevalence of psychological distress (anxiety or depression), as well as their predictors, among cancer survivors in a middle-income setting. Through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Costs in Oncology study, 1490 newly diagnosed cancer patients were followed-up in Malaysia for 1year. Health-related quality of life was assessed by using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and EuroQol-5 (EQ-5D) dimension questionnaires at baseline, 3 and 12months. Psychological distress was assessed by using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Data were modeled by using general linear and logistic regressions analyses. One year after diagnosis, the mean EORTC QLQ-C30 Global Health score of the cancer survivors remained low at 53.0 over 100 (SD 21.4). Fifty-four percent of survivors reported at least moderate levels of anxiety, while 27% had at least moderate levels of depression. Late stage at diagnosis was the strongest predictor of low HRQoL. Increasing age, being married, high-income status, hospital type, presence of comorbidities, and chemotherapy administration were also associated with worse HRQoL. The significant predictors of psychological distress were cancer stage and hospital type. Cancer survivors in this middle-income setting have persistently impaired HRQoL and high levels of psychological distress. Development of a holistic cancer survivorship program addressing wider aspects of well-being is urgently needed in our settings.

The relationship between role preferences in decision-making and level of psychological distress in patients with head and neck cancer

ObjectiveIs there a relationship between decision-making preferences and psychological distress? MethodsPatients who had received treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) at four institutions within NSW, Australia were invited to complete a single questionnaire. ResultsFive hundred and ninety-seven patients completed the questionnaire. The majority of patients (308, 54%) preferred shared decision making. Significant predictors of a preference towards active decision making were education level (OR 2.1 for tertiary, p < 0.001), primary cancer site (OR 1.9 for thyroid compared to salivary gland, p = 0.024) and gender (OR 1.4 for female, p = 0.028). Mean psychological distress score on Kessler 6 (K6) was 9 (Range: 0–28). Significant predictors of psychological distress were age (p < 0.001), gender (p < 0.001), primary site (p < 0.01), and decision preference (p < 0.01). ConclusionHNC patients who are either tertiary educated or female are more likely to prefer active involvement in decision-making. Psychological distress is more likely in patients actively involved in decision making, younger patients, and in females. Practice implications: Patients experienced paternalistic decision-making, but most preferred active or a shared approached. Clinicians need to be aware of potential for psychological distress in active decision-makers and refer patients for psychosocial support.

Authenticity as a Predictor of Mental Health

The aim of this research was to evaluate the relationship between authenticity and mental health on a sample of 706 students. Results showed that all subscales of the Authenticity scale (authentic living, accepting external influence and self-alienation) were correlated with all general scales and subscales of the MHI-38 (psychological distress – anxiety, depression, loss of behavioural/emotional control; psychological well-being – overall positive affect, emotional ties and satisfaction with life and overall mental health index). Hierarchical regression showed that authenticity composed of all three dimensions together is a statistically significant predictor of psychological distress, psychological well-being and overall mental health index. The confirmation that authenticity is closely connected to mental health and significantly contributes to it is a good example of how classic perspectives in psychological counselling can set further directions of research within personality psychology. Keywords: authenticity, mental health, students

Dispositional Mindfulness, Psychological Distress, and Posttraumatic Growth in Cancer Patients

ABSTRACTCancer has different psychological and physical outcomes. The present study was conducted to examine psychological distress, posttraumatic growth, and dispositional mindfulness in cancer patients. A total of 109 cancer patients entered the research. The Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) were used for data collection. The regression analysis revealed that dispositional mindfulness can be a significant predictor of psychological distress and posttraumatic growth in cancer patients. The results also showed that mindfulness is related significantly to psychological outcomes and adaptation in cancer patients and should be further addressed in cancer treatment.

“Strength of Weak Ties,” Neighborhood Ethnic Heterogeneity, and Depressive Symptoms among Adults: A Multilevel Analysis of Korean General Social Survey (KGSS) 2012

A substantial body of research, based largely on North American and European contexts, demonstrates that social networks play a critical role in protecting and promoting mental, as well as physical, health. The purpose of this study is to examine how “weak” and “strong” network relations are differentially related to individual mental health (depressive symptoms) based on a nationally representative sample of South Korean adults. Using multilevel analysis, the current research also investigates the extent to which contextual or neighborhood-level factors moderate the associations between depression and social network. Findings show that regular interaction with weaker ties (acquaintances, neighbors, coworkers, etc.) are associated with better mental health. The number of strong ties (family members and friends), on the other hand, is not a significant predictor of psychological distress. In addition, a cross-level interaction term is observed: The negative relationship between weak ties and depressive symptoms is diminished in neighborhoods with more foreign-born residents or immigrants. General implications beyond the empirical case under investigation are discussed, as to why weak ties can be “strong” in relation to mental health and how this phenomenon can vary according to residential characteristics such as ethnic heterogeneity.

Predicting psychological distress of informal carers of individuals with major depression or bipolar disorder.

Caring for someone with a mental illness is associated with high levels of burden and psychological distress. Understanding these factors could be important to prevent the development of physical and mental health problems in carers. The purpose of the present study was to determine the contribution of coping styles and social support in predicting the psychological distress reported by informal carers (IC) of individuals with major depression or bipolar disorder. IC (n=72) of adults with a diagnosed depressive illness were recruited from mental health organizations within the community setting. Carers completed the General Health Questionnaire, Brief COPE, and Social Support Questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that 63% of the variance in psychological distress could be accounted for by adaptive and maladaptive coping styles and perceived quantity and satisfaction with social support. Satisfaction with social support (β=-0.508, P<0.001) and maladaptive coping (β=0.369; P<0.001) were significant predictors of psychological distress. These findings suggest that interventions should consider coping styles, specifically the interaction between maladaptive behaviours and enhancement of quality of support, to assist carers to manage psychological distress, especially earlier in the caring role.

Psychological impact on caregivers of HIV-infected children in Udupi district, Karnataka

ABSTRACTCaregivers of children living with HIV/AIDS (CLWHA) face unique challenges due to disease-related stigma and discrimination, isolation from society, financial constraints, grief and mortality of loved one. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at Udupi ART centre to assess the caregiver burden, psychological distress and their associated factors among the caregivers of CLWHA in Udupi District. The convenience sampling technique was used to collect the data from 171 caregivers and analysed with the help of SPSS version 15.0. Majority of caregivers were female (64.9%) with mean age of 38.1 ± 9.6 years. About 64.3% caregivers were HIV-positive and 63.2% were biological parents of CLWHA. Mild-to-severe caregiver burden on Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI) was reported among 84.8% of caregivers, and mild-to-severe psychological distress on General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was reported among 49.7% caregivers. Relationship with child was found to be a significant predictor of caregiver burden as compared to other relatives/foster (P < 0.001). Relationship with child (P 0.004), Alcohol use (P 0.008) and Schooling of children (P 0.049) were reported as significant predictors of psychological distress. Study concludes that caregiver burden and psychological distress were high among caregivers of CLWHA. Psychological problems of caregivers need to be addressed and integrated along with the clinical care of HIV-infected children at ART centres.

Predictors of psychological distress and well-being in a sample of Australian undergraduate students

ABSTRACTPrevious research has found university students report higher levels of psychological distress compared to the general population. Our aim was to investigate the degree to which personality and contextual factors predict psychological distress and well-being in students over the course of a semester. We also examined whether resilience-building skills, such as positive self-talk, mindfulness meditation and self-management, included in a first-year psychology subject, might reduce distress and improve well-being. Undergraduate first-year students (n = 150) completed a battery of questionnaires in week three (Time 1; n = 150) and week 10 (Time 2; n = 53) of semester. At both times students reported high levels of psychological distress, as measured by the K10, the General Health Questionnaire and the Brief Symptom Inventory, and low levels of psychological well-being, as measured by the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Students exposed to resilience-building skills embedded in a subject (n = 24) were no less distressed at Time 2 than those not enrolled in that subject (n = 29). The personality traits of emotional resilience (vs. reactivity) and bounce-back resilience measured at Time 1 were the only significant predictors of psychological distress and well-being measured at Time 2. Students with high emotional and bounce-back resilience had lower psychological distress and higher well-being scores. Future research could consider development and trial of a full semester university subject designed to improve students’ resilience knowledge and skills.

Repetitive negative thinking mediates the association between perfectionism and psychological distress

Our objective was to analyze the relationships between Repetitive negative thinking (RNT), perfectionism and psychological distress. Specifically we wanted to test if RNT mediates the relationship between perfectionism and psychological distress. 788 college students completed self-report questionnaires to evaluate perfectionism trait dimensions [Evaluative concerns (EC) and Positive strivings (PS)], RNT dimensions [Repetitive thinking (RT) and Cognitive interference and unproductivity (CIU)], perceived stress, and perceived support. Psychological distress was measured with the Profile of Mood States subscales: Depression (D), Tension–anxiety (TA), Anger–hostility (AH), Fatigue–inertia (FI) and Vigor–anxiety (VA). After controlling for perceived stress and support, perfectionism dimensions and RNT (particularly CIU) remained a significant predictors of psychological distress. CIU was a partial mediator of the relationship between EC and D, TA, AH, FI and VA and a full mediator of the relationship of PS with D and FI. Whereas the effect of negative perfectionism on emotional disturbances was potentiated by RNT, PS was only associated to it when high levels of RNT were also present. Showing that Positive striving effects on psychological distress may be a function of specific mediators, these results contribute to a better understanding of the nature of positive perfectionism.

Is Test Anxiety a Problem Among Medical Students: A Cross Sectional Study on Outcome of Test Anxiety among Medical Students?

Pathological anxiety towards an exam intensifies psychological distress and reduces academic motivation. The present study aimed to identify the prevalence of test anxiety and psychological distress. Additionally, the present study examined the extent to which test anxiety predicts psychological distress and academic motivation. Westside Text Anxiety Scale (WTAS), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) and Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) were administered among 154 first year undergraduate medical students attending a private university in Malaysia. The results showed that 18.2 (n = 28) percent of medical students experienced test anxiety and 53.9 (n = 83) percent of them were psychological distressed. Further, results showed that test anxiety positively correlated with psychological distress and amotivation. Test anxiety is a significant predictor of psychological distress and amotivation. Over all, medical students who experience test anxiety tend to experience high psychological distress and amotivation in their studies.

Teasing Experiences, Interpersonal Sensitivity, Self-Schema and Psychological Distress in Youth: an Exploratory Study

The present study as aimed at exploring peer victimization (teasing) experiences, interpersonal sensitivity, self-schemas and psychological distress in youth. The sample consisted of 231 male and female participants who met specified criteria. Participants completed The Teasing Questionnaire-Revised, Teasing Checklist, Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure, General Health Questionnaire- 28 and Self- Schema Questionnaire. In addition, an open ended question was included to obtain data on teasing experiences. The results showed that the appearance related teasing was reported to be the highest, with more females than males reporting teasing experiences on this domain. Teasing experiences in the domains of performance, social behavior, family and appearance were positively related to psychological distress. Interpersonal sensitivity and self-schema were positively correlated with distress and there was a significant difference between distressed and non-distressed participants on these measures. On IPSM, the need for approval was higher in females whereas fragile inner self was higher in males. Self-efficacy on Self Schema Questionnaire (SSQ), Separation Anxiety (IPSM), Social behavior (TQ) and Teasing Checklist were found to be significant predictors of psychological distress, accounting for 29 % of the variation in psychological distress. Teasing experiences is a significant predisposing factor for psychological distress. Our findings have important clinical implications in understanding early teasing experiences in the development of psychological and emotional disorders.

Psychological Distress Among Young Norwegian Health Professionals

In this study, we present longitudinal data on psychological distress among 169 young Norwegian health professionals. Psychological distress was measured at the end of their studies, and three years later on, when being professional nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. Psychological distress was assessed by applying the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 12). Twenty-seven percent of the nursing students scored higher than the GHQ 12 case score at the end of the study, but as nurses, they became significantly less distressed three years later (13 percent). The other two professions showed relatively small and non-significant reductions in psychological distress during the first three years as a professional. Hierarchical multiple analyses showed that the level of psychological distress when finishing the study, the young professionals’ experience of personal support from colleagues, the experience of work-home conflicts and the experience of methodological coping at work were significant predictors of psychological distress three years after working as young health professionals. These four predictors explained together 29 percent in the variance in GHQ 12 three years after graduation. Belonging to any of the three professions did not contribute to the explained variance in psychological distress three years after graduation.

Towards Growth and Sustainability: The Institutional and Disciplinary Dynamics of Post Graduate Law Research Networks

Law students are well recognised for having high levels of psychological distress, but arguably, as a group their mental health literacy, distress and associated factors have not been as well-studied as medical and health science students. Further, financial and accommodation pressures on students, while featuring prominently in the general media, have been little studied in law students as has the impact of commuting on law students’ distress levels. This article reports on a 2013 survey of 579 Sydney Law School students which assessed their levels of psychological distress and examined a number of possible stressors including: age, having dependants, living circumstances, hours of paid work, familial financial support, hours of independent study, travel time, domestic or international student status and the amount of money spent on alcohol. The findings did not reveal any of these factors as clearly associated with stress. However, gender appeared to be the only significant predictor of psychological distress after controlling for degree type, as female students were significantly more distressed than male students although it is not clear why this might be so. This article also provides comparison with a similar 2011 survey of students at Sydney Medical School. Some differences between law students and medical students are discussed.

Effects of Occupational Role Conflict and Emotional Demands on Subsequent Psychological Distress

To examine the impact of occupational role conflict and emotional demands on subsequent psychological distress. A randomly drawn cohort from the general Norwegian working-age population was followed up for 3 years (n = 12,550; response rate = 67%). Eligible respondents were in paid work during the reference week in 2006 and 2009 or temporarily absent from such work (n = 6,745; response rate = 68%). In the fully adjusted model, both high role conflict (odds ratios = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.15 to 2.03) and high emotional demands (odds ratios = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.13 to 1.69) were significant predictors of psychological distress. Additional significant predictors were low job control, bullying/harassment, and job insecurity (P < 0.05). Considering all of the evaluated work-related factors, role conflict and emotional demands contributed the most to the population risk of developing psychological distress.

Psychological Distress Among Nurses Caring for Victims of War in Sri Lanka

To determine prevalence and factors associated with psychological distress among nurses caring for war victims in Sri Lanka. Descriptive, cross-sectional study design was used to collect data from 241 nurses from 2 hospitals with stratified random sampling according to workstation. Self-administered 30-item General Health Questionnaire was used to detect psychological distress. The prevalence of psychological distress was 21%. Female sex was found to be the most significant predictor of psychological distress among nurses. Factors, such as being married, having children, or both, were found to be protective. High exposure to war victims, measured by the frequency with which a nurse tended to those patients, also resulted in less psychological distress. The prevalence of psychological distress is higheramong nurses in this study compared with that among the general population. Brief screening instruments, such as the General Health Questionnaire, can be used to identify individuals at risk for psychological distress. Results suggest that the presence of a social support network helped to psychologically buffer these nurses. Findings also imply the importance of promoting positive attitudes and beneficial stress (eustress) to complement a well-developed focus on distress prevention.

Resilience as a Protective Factor Against the Development of Psychopathology Among Refugees

Refugee research, to date, has predominantly focused on factors that make refugees more vulnerable for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or psychological distress. Few articles have studied potential protective factors such as resilience. A targeted nonrandom sample of Iraqi refugees (n = 75) and a control group of non-Iraqi Arab immigrants (n = 53) were recruited from a number of Iraqi/Arab community institutions in Michigan to complete a questionnaire that included measures for psychological distress, PTSD symptoms, exposure to trauma, and resilience. The refugees reported significantly more PTSD symptoms (t-test, p < 0.01) and psychological distress (p < 0.05) compared with the immigrants. There was no difference in resilience between the two groups. In linear regression, premigration exposure to violence was a significant predictor of psychological distress (p < 0.01) and PTSD symptoms (p < 0.01). After controlling for migrant status and violence exposure, resilience was a significant inverse predictor of psychological distress (p < 0.001) but not of PTSD. Resilience is associated with less trauma-related psychological distress and should be considered in assessing risk and protective factors among victims of war-related violence.

Tuberculosis patients in South Africa have a high prevalence of psychological distress

Question: What are the prevalence and predictors of psychological distress in people with tuberculosis in South Africa? Population: In total 4935 patients, aged between 18 and 93 years, within 1...

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.