Somatic Fear Research Articles

Moderated mediation role of trust in authorities by the Kahramanmaras earthquake survivors

ABSTRACT This article examines the moderated mediation role of trust in authorities in the direct and indirect effects of earthquake exposure on psychological distress symptoms (depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms) through somatic fear (sleep loss and increased heart rates). Convenience and snowball sampling methods were used to collect survey data from 552 adult participants (221 men, 331 women) living in the earthquake zone. The independent variable is earthquake exposure, the mediating variable is somatic fear, and the moderating variable is trust in authorities (emergency plans and strategies, government policies, and media information). Factor analysis using structural equation modelling confirmed one factor for fear of earthquake and trust in authorities and three factors for symptoms of psychological distress. Regression results showed that disaster survivors had low trust in authorities in Turkiye. Mediation and moderated mediation results based on the bootstrap method showed that somatic fear mediated the effect of earthquake exposure on depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and stress symptoms, and trust in authorities moderated the indirect effects of earthquake exposure on stress symptoms through somatic fear. Increased trust in authorities in Turkiye would alleviate psychological distress symptoms among the Kahramanmaras earthquake survivors.

Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure of the German Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale.

Fear is a fundamental response in the face of a life-threatening pandemic, such as COVID-19. To assess COVID-19-related fear, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) has been recently developed and validated in many countries across the globe. The current study aimed to adapt the FCV-19S into German and to examine its psychometric properties. Participants (N = 866) were asked to complete the FCV-19S, report their perceived risk of contracting the virus, and their willingness to comply with mask wearing. Confirmatory Factor Analysis supported both a two-factor structure (emotional and somatic fear) and a more parsimonious one-factor model. Among demographic variables, only female gender was positively associated with the FCV-19S. Moreover, the measure was associated with increased risk perception and compliance with mask wearing. Results suggest that the FCV-19S has good psychometric properties in German and can be used in future work.

Psychometric Properties of the Norwegian Version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale

To examine the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), randomly selected individuals from a larger registry study were invited. We assessed the reliability and validity of the instrument in a sample of 1089 adults in Norway (response rate 73%). Internal consistency measured by Cronbach’s alpha (0.88) was acceptable. Omega alphaHierarchical (ωt = 0.69) was lower indicating that the general factor is less reliable, explaining 69% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the FCV-19S is not strictly unidimensional. Exploratory graph analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor model (cognitive and somatic fear), which were highly correlated (r = 0.84). The Norwegian version of the FCV-19S showed an underlying two-factor structure. However, the high correlation means the two latent factors (cognitive and somatic fear) act as indicators for a second-order general factor and support use of the FCV-19S sum score. The FCV-19S appears to be a valid instrument to assess fear of COVID-19 with good psychometric properties.

Relationship between negative emotions and perceived support among parents of hospitalized, critically ill children

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to describe relationships between negative emotions and perceived emotional support in parents of children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). MethodsThis cross-sectional descriptive study conducted face-to-face interviews between January 2019 and January 2020. Study variables included depression (PHQ-9 Scale), anxiety (Emotional Distress-Anxiety-Short Form 8a), anger (Emotional Distress-Anger-Short Form 5a), fear (Fear-Affect Computerized Adaptive Test), somatic fear (Fear-Somatic Arousal-Fixed Form), loneliness (Revised 20-item UCLA Loneliness Scale), and perceived emotional support (Emotional Support-Fixed Form). ResultsEighty parents reported symptoms of depression 8.00(4.00, 13.75), anxiety (23.43 ± 7.80), anger (13.40 ± 5.46), fear (72.81 ± 27.26), somatic fear 9.00(6.00, 12.75), loneliness (39.35 ± 12.00), and low perceived emotional support (32.14 ± 8.06). Parents who were young, single, low-income, and with limited-post secondary education reported greater loneliness and lower perceived emotional support. Fear correlated with depression (r = 0.737, P < 0.01) and anxiety (r=0.900, P < 0.01). Inverse relationships were discovered between perceived emotional support and loneliness (r = −0.767, P < 0.01), anger (r=-0.401, P < 0.01), and depression (r = −0.334, P < 0.01). ConclusionsThe cluster of negative emotions identified will serve as potential targets for future interventions designed to enhance support for parents of critically ill children.

Sense of efficiency and helplessness, fear and styles of coping with stress in adolescents practicing sports

Introduction. Sense of efficacy is one of the important predictors of an athlete's efficiency [1]. The aim of the study was to show whether there is a relationship between the level of sense of efficacy vs. the sense of helplessness in girls and boys undertaking sports and level of anxiety (cognitive and somatic) as well as the dominant styles of coping with stress. Procedures. The study comprised 222 individuals - students of sport high-schools from the Małopolskie and Śląskie voivodeships (108 girls, average age =17.52 years and 114 boys, average age =18.47 years). The Intrapersonal, Interpersonal and World AttitudesQuestionnaire [Kwestionariusz Nastawień Intrapersonalnych, Interpersonalnych i Nastawień wobec Świata (KNIIŚ)] created by Ewa Wysocka was used [2] - the "Sense of efficacy" and "Sense of helplessness" scale (version for high-school students); Endler and Parker's "Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS)" in the Polish adaptation by Szczepaniak, Strelau, Wrześniewski [3] and "Reactions to Competition" by Smith, Smoll, Schutz in the Polish adaptation by Krawczyński, were also implemented [4]. Results. It has been shown in the research that respondents are dominated by a sense of efficacy over helplessness, a task-oriented style of coping with stress, and somatic fear before a start. In addition, it was found that there is a relationship between sense of efficacy and sense of helplessness with somatic anxiety that is moderated by sex, as well as a relationship between the sense of helplessness and the level of distraction, and a relationship between the sense of helplessness and the level of worrying that is also moderated by gender. Also observed was a correlation between the style of coping consisting in seeking social contacts with sense of helplessness among the surveyed girls. Conclusions. A practical postulate arises regarding strengthening sense of efficacy, especially among female competitors.

Factors Associated with Opioid Use in a Cohort of Patients Presenting for Surgery.

Objectives. Patients taking opioids prior to surgery experience prolonged postoperative opioid use, worse clinical outcomes, increased pain, and more postoperative complications. We aimed to compare preoperative opioid users to their opioid naïve counterparts to identify differences in baseline characteristics. Methods. 107 patients presenting for thoracotomy, total knee replacement, total hip replacement, radical mastectomy, and lumpectomy were investigated in a cross-sectional study to characterize the associations between measures of pain, substance use, abuse, addiction, sleep, and psychological measures (depressive symptoms, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, somatic fear and anxiety, and fear of pain) with opioid use. Results. Every 9-point increase in the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised (SOAPP-R) score was associated with 2.37 (95% CI 1.29–4.32) increased odds of preoperative opioid use (p = 0.0005). The SOAPP-R score was also associated with 3.02 (95% CI 1.36–6.70) increased odds of illicit preoperative opioid use (p = 0.007). Also, every 4-point increase in baseline pain at the future surgical site was associated with 2.85 (95% CI 1.12–7.27) increased odds of legitimate preoperative opioid use (p = 0.03). Discussion. Patients presenting with preoperative opioid use have higher SOAPP-R scores potentially indicating an increased risk for opioid misuse after surgery. In addition, legitimate preoperative opioid use is associated with preexisting pain.