Stress Resistance Resources Research Articles

FORMATION OF FUTURE MANAGERS' PROFESSIONAL STRESS RESISTANCE AS A CONDITION FOR THEIR COMPETITIVENESS

The article is devoted to the issue of formation of professional stress resistance of managers in terms of their competitiveness. The state of research in scientific sources on the issue of managers’ professional stress resistance is analyzed and the necessity of targeted influence to level up the future managers’ professional stress resistance at the stage of master’s training in a higher educational institution is substantiated. The study's purpose: to clarify the essence of professional stress resistance, to develop a comprehensive program for its formation in future managers, and determine the content, directions, and ways of its implementation at the stage of master's training. The results of a diagnostic study using the developed questionnaire and the SACS-strategy and coping behavior model (S. Hobfoll) are presented. A comprehensive program for the formation of future managers’ professional stress resistance is created. Ways of its implementation at the stage of master’s training in a higher educational institution are outlined. This program provides for the search and activation of stress resistance resources, the formation of constructive coping strategies in management activities, the development of assertiveness, and the harmonization of the personality of future managers. The ways of implementing a comprehensive program for the formation of professional stress resistance of future managers are identified: educational activities (lectures, practical classes, independent work), individual consultative and methodological work, participation in training groups, independent and research work, participation in volunteer activities/volunteer educational projects, non-formal education of master's students. The role of anti-stress training in increasing professional stress resistance is revealed.

Психологические особенности ресурсов стрессоустойчивости руководителей органов внутренних дел Российской Федерации

The nature of managerial work refers to those types of professional activities that place high demands on both the physical and psychological resources of the subject of labor, which directly affects the performance of work. This circumstance substantiates the relevance of the study. In order to increase the reliability and efficiency of professional activity and professional longevity of the heads of the internal affairs
 bodies of the Russian Federation, a research of the psychological characteristics of the stress resistance resources of this professional group was performed.
 Methodology. In the process of working with the content, the author used traditional methods: statistical, comparative, testing, interviewing. The study was based on the subject-resource approach and the psychological concept of subjective vitality. The research involved 50 respondents, aged 31 to 59 years. The following diagnostic tools were used: specialized semantic differential «Assessment of one’s own vital energy»; questionnaire «Psychological capital» (A. Bakker), adapted by A. S. Manichev, «Resilience test» by S. Maddi, adapted by D. A. Leontiev, abbreviated version re-validated by E. N. Osin and E. I. Rasskazova. Descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, the r-Spearman test were used, mathematical statistics were carried out using the IBM SPSS Statistics 21 application package.
 Results. The study showed that the heads of internal affairs bodies have sufficient resources and sustainability of the resource base. The psychological assistance to this category of managers should be aimed at the psychological resources replenishment and the self-esteem correction of long-serving heads of internal affairs bodies, at developing the ability to manage their vital energy during periods of intensive service activity.

ADAPTIVE RESOURCES OF SUBJECTS WITH DIFFERENT STRATEGIES FOR CHOOSING A WAY OF LIFE IN A STRESS SITUATION OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES

Background. The modern world is characterized by instability, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Therefore, a successful development of an organization requires organizational changes, which provoke the necessity of adaptation for people working in this organization. The study of specific adaptive resources revealed the benefits of a differentiated approach to personnel undergoing organizational changes. The differentiation of the sample depending on the strategies for choosing a way of life is justified. Aim. The paper aims to study the specifics of adaptive resources in the context of organizational changes and the features of experiencing stress, tolerance to uncertainty and resilience. Materials and methods. The study involved 208 employees of a large industrial enterprise in Chelyabinsk (of which 135 females and 73 males). The following methods were used during the study: typology for a personal choice of a way of life by V. Gryazeva-Dobshinskaya, A.S. Maltseva; the Psychological Stress Measure (PSM) by L. Lemyrr, R. Tessier, L. Fillion (adapted by N.E. Vodopyanova); the Hardiness test by S. Maddi (adapted by D. A. Leontiev, E. V. Rasskazova); the tolerance to uncertainty scale adapted by E.G. Lukovitskaya. For statistical processing, discriminant and factor analysis were used. Results. General (nonspecific) adaptive resources were revealed: in all subjects regardless of their strategies for choosing a way of life, an inverse correlation was found between stress exposure and resilience as stress resistance resources. Specific adaptive resources were identified: subjects of a hedonistic type had a positive attitude towards new, diverse situations in life and were characterized by a preference for uncertainty; subjects of a value-oriented type were characterized by an arbitrary level of attitude to uncertain and complex situations; creative subjects demonstrated a set of properties, including “challenge” and all the components of “uncertainty tolerance”.

Межполушарная асимметрия и структура ресурсов стрессоустойчивости интегральной индивидуальности

The article considers features of the structure of multi-level resources of resistance (psychophysiological, psychodynamic, personal) in groups of subjects, which were differentiated by hemispheric asymmetry. The results of empirical study of the factor analytical structure of stress-resistance resources for each group are presented. The sample consisted of 101 university students aged 18 to 22 years (64 girls, 37 boys). According to individual-typological functional hemispheric asymmetry, the sample was divided into 3 groups: 1 group (n 1 =34 people), with predominance of right hemisphere activation, 2 group (n 2 =44 people) with predominance of left hemisphere activation; 3 group (n 3 =23 people) without pronounced functional asymmetry of We identified the general factors with specific for each group structure: Hardiness, Reflection of internal complexity, Stress-fullness of life, Temperament, Psychophysiological resources, Activation of the brain hemispheres. Stress load index stress-fullness of for each group forms a separate factor with a specific structure, which includes functional hemispheric asymmetry (FHA) in subjects with predominance of left hemisphere activation and unaffected hemispheric asymmetry. The load index of in the different groups included in the different factors, forming more specific complexes: hardiness – experience, Stressfulness of life – – FHA, Reflection of internal difficulties – experience. The specificity of the complexes, including indicators of load stress experience and stressful shows the features of the resistance resources of subjects.

Assessing family resources: validation of the Swedish version of the Family Hardiness Index.

All families face normative transitions. Some are perceived as stressful and calls for family resources to maintain or restore family well-being. In times of illness, families also need to develop strengths and capabilities to enhance family well-being. The way these are developed is related to family hardiness. Family hardiness is thus seen as a family resource, and the Family Hardiness Index (FHI) was developed to measure family stress resistance and adaptation resources. The index was not available in Swedish and no extensive international psychometric evaluation was found. Therefore, the aim was to translate and validate the Swedish version of the FHI. The study was approved by a Regional Ethical Review Board. Data from 174 Swedish participants, family members to persons with cognitive dysfunctions (n = 95) and nursing students (n = 79) were included. Family members were enrolled in outpatient clinics in primary care and rehabilitation, and nursing students at a nursing school. Psychometric properties were evaluated through calculations of missing data, distributions of item and scale scores, item correlations, Cronbach's alpha, confirmatory factor analyses and correlations with theoretically related constructs. Sample scores had acceptable data quality, internal consistency for the FHI total scale was satisfactory (α = 0.86), and construct validity was supported. Our findings cast some doubt on the intended interpretation since confirmatory factor analyses showed that a modified four-subscale version, excluding one subscale, showed best fit. The Control subscale lacked important psychometric properties in terms of homogeneity, internal consistency and construct validity. The sample size was probably sufficiently large for the factor analyses, but the subgroup analyses should be treated with caution. The conclusion is that the Swedish version of the FHI is a promising scale for assessing family hardiness, but more solid evidence for the factor structure in various Swedish and international samples is needed.

Beyond Host Language Proficiency

As international students navigate in a foreign educational environment, having higher levels of coping or stress-resistance resources—both internal and external—could be related to increased satisfaction with personal and university life. The internal coping resources examined in this study were host language proficiency, self-esteem, intercultural social self-efficacy, and academic self-efficacy. The external resources studied were perceived social support from (a) hosts and (b) non-hosts. Survey participants were 385 Asian-born international students in Australian universities. Regression analyses revealed that academic self-efficacy and social support from hosts were significant predictors of both personal and university life satisfaction, but the effects of English language proficiency and social support from non-hosts disappeared when other resources were considered. Additional predictors of personal satisfaction were intercultural social self-efficacy and self-esteem. We discuss the implications for future research on the international student experience and for learning support provision for international university students.

The High Secure Psychiatric Hospitals’ Nursing Staff Stress Survey 3: Identifying stress resistance resources in the stress process of physical assault

The present paper forms part of the High Secure Psychiatric Hospitals’ Nursing Staff Stress Survey and explores the causal role of generalized and specific stress resistance resources (SRRs) in the stress process following physical assault. Confidential self-report questionnaires were administered to all nurses working in English and Scottish High Secure Psychiatric Hospitals. A total of 636 nurses responded to questionnaires on physical assault, other relevant stressors, SRRs, and psychological distress as measured by the GHQ-12. Data were analysed using univariate and multivariate hierarchical regression analysis. Self-esteem, self-confidence, and coping met the definitional criteria of generalized SRRs. Findings on social support from outside work suggested a mediating role of this variable. Furthermore, manager support could be identified as a specific SRR that moderated effects of physical assault on psychological distress: assaulted nurses having a supportive manager scored lower on psychological distress than non-assaulted nurses having an unsupportive manager. It is concluded that, at a conceptual and empirical level, the current approach yields advances in terms of how generalized and specific SRRs contribute comparatively to alleviate high levels of psychological distress by testing additive, mediator, and moderator models, thereby achieving an increase in explanatory power of the stress process model as compared to previous research.

Growing old: metabolic control and yeast aging.

The metabolic characteristics of a yeast cell determine its life span. Depending on conditions, stress resistance can have either a salutary or a deleterious effect on longevity. Gene dysregulation increases with age, and countering it increases life span. These three determinants of yeast longevity may be interrelated, and they are joined by a potential fourth, genetic stability. These factors can also operate in phylogenetically diverse species. Adult longevity seems to borrow features from the genetic programs of dormancy to provide the metabolic and stress resistance resources necessary for extended survival. Both compensatory and preventive mechanisms determine life span, while epigenetic factors and the element of chance contribute to the role that genes and environment play in aging.

Stress-Resistance Resources and Coping in Pregnancy

Stress-resistance research focuses on resources that facilitate adaptation during stressful circumstances. This study examined the value of three stress-resistance resources (optimism, social support, and socioeconomic status) in 163 pregnant women. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesis that resources are beneficial by promoting the use of adaptive coping. Cross-sectionally, optimism was associated with less frequent use of avoidance and lower emotional distress. Greater social support was associated with more frequent use of avoidance and preparation coping and with higher levels of emotional distress. Positive appraisal was the only way of coping associated with less distress. However, prospective analyses showed that resources are associated with coping and distress in early pregnancy only and that coping was not associated with distress over time. Results suggest that there are high levels of stability in coping and distress throughout pregnancy.

Comparison of emotional distress in men with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and in men with cancer

I N EVALUATING research findings, the potential for generalizability of findings is essential for applied nursing research. Sometimes it is assumed that the unique characteristics of a sample, for example, those sharing a specific medical diagnosis, directly affect the phenomenon of interest and limit generalizability to other populations. If the validity of generalizing findings from previous studies to similar subjects can be supported, an expanded body of research is available for application in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to compare emotional distress (hopelessness and depression), stressful life events, and stress resistance resources (hope and social support) in two populations with life-threatening illnesses: men with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and men with cancer. Serious psychological morbidity is not an inevitable part of AIDS or cancer. However, depression is a serious problem for approximately 25% of patients with advanced cancer (Derogatis et al., 1983), as compared with 6% in the general population (Depression Guideline Panel, 1993). An even greater prevalence of emotional distress has been reported for patients with AIDS (Atkinson & Grant, 1994). Men with human immunodeficiency virus have been reported to have more frequent and greater disruptions in quality of life than men with cancer (Ganz, Schag, Kahn, Petersen, & Hirji, 1993). Negative life events and poor social support also have been linked to depression in people with cancer (Bukberg, Penman, & Holland, 1984); difficulties with adequate social support also have been reported for men with AIDS (DiPasquale, 1990; van Servellen, Padilla, Brecht, & Knoll, 1993). METHODS Design

Emotional distress in men with life-threatening illness

This descriptive survey explored the relationship of health status, functional status, stressful life events, stress resistance resources and emotional distress in 60 men with life-threatening illness ( N = 30 with cancer and N = 30 with AIDS). Sixty-two percent met CES-D criteria for clinical depression. This study's results supported the hypotheses that poorer functional status and greater negative stressors are associated with both higher levels of hopelessness and depression. Twenty-four patients constituted a group with severe emotional distress. This group was significantly different from the less vulnerable group with poorer functional status (KPS), a greater number and severity of negative stressors, less satisfaction with social support, and less hopefulness.

Sense of coherence, trait anxiety, and the perceived availability of social support

Antonovsky (1987) has proposed that the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale assesses a personality-related “stress-resistance resource” that comprises the belief that life is comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful. To date, most of the research on the SOC scale has been conducted in Israel. One finding that appears to be particularly robust, at least among Israeli adolescents, is an inverse association between SOC total scale scores and trait anxiety. The first purpose of the present study, which examines American college students, is to attempt to provide some external validity evidence for the Israeli research linking SOC and anxiety. The present study also attempts to refine previous research by examining whether anxiety is differentially related to the comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness SOC subscales. In addition, this study seeks to extend previous research by examining whether individuals scoring high on SOC would perceive social support to be more readily available than individuals scoring low on SOC. Finally, the present investigation provides preliminary reliability and validity data for the short form version of the SOC scale. Results showed that SOC total scores were strongly negatively correlated with levels of trait anxiety. The relative strength of the correlations of anxiety to the various SOC subscales could not be assessed accurately because the SOC subscales were unreliable. Other results showed SOC scores were unrelated to the perceived availability of four different types of social support. These data support the generalizability of Israeli research suggesting that individuals scoring high on SOC enjoy better mental health than their lower scoring counterparts. In addition, results showing that SOC is independent of socially based stress-resistance resources suggest the SOC scale has discriminant validity. Finally, the present results support the validity of the shortened version of the SOC scale, but suggest that use of short form subscale scores may be problematic.

Sensitivity to Noise, Personality Hardiness, and Noise-Induced Stress in Critical Care Nurses

This research tested the generalizability of the mediating role of stress resistance resources to stressors in the physical environment. One hun-dred hospital critical care unit nurses were surveyed. Results indicated that less sensitivity to noise and greater personality hardiness may act as noise-induced stress resistance resources. When the three dimensions of hardiness (commit-ment, control, and challenge) were analyzed separately via a stepwise multiple regression, commitment was the only variable to uphold this relationship. The latter result is discussed in terms of potentially effective coping strategies in nurses and compatibility within the person-environment relationship.

Personality and social resources in stress resistance.

This study examined personality, social assets, and perceived social support as moderators of the effects of stressful life events on illness onset. In a group of 170 middle and upper level executives, personality hardiness and stressful life events consistently influenced illness scores, the former serving to lower symptomatology, the latter to increase it. Perceived boss support had its predicted positive effect. Executives under high stress who perceived support from their supervisors had lower illness scores than those without support. Perceived family support, on the other hand, showed a negative effect on health when reported by those low in hardiness. Finally, social assets made no significant impact on health status. These results underscore the value of differentiating between kinds of social resources, and of monitoring the effects of two or more stress-resistance resources in a single study.