Humility,stressful life events,and psychological well-being: Findings from the landmark spirituality and health survey

A growing body of research suggests that people who are more humble tend to enjoy better physical and mental health than individuals who are less humble. The next step in moving this literature forward involves explaining and empirically demonstrating how the potentially beneficial effects of humility arise. The purpose of this study is to address this issue by seeing whether humility buffers the effects of stressful life events on four measures of well-being: happiness, life satisfaction, depressed affect, and generalized anxiety disorder. Data from a new nationwide survey (N = 3010) suggest that the magnitude of the negative relationship between stressful life events and all four measures of well-being is reduced among people who are more humble. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Race,gender, and the response to stress: Autoworkers' vulnerability to long-term unemployment

A three-wave panel study of auto plant closings focused on the mental health effects of unemployment on blue-collar workers. This paper explores how the impact of long-term unemployment varies across race and gender. We also examine whether other demographic factors can themselves modify the impactsof race and gender. Dependent variables include two measures of distress and two drinking measures. Results showed that the effect of long-term unemployment on distress and drinking was more severe among less educated workers, and responses of blacks were especially sensitive to level of education. In addition, men showed a greater association of long-term unemployment with depression (and to some extent anxiety) than did women. Marriage affected the responses of men but not of women, and of whites but not of blacks. Explanatory variables—the worker's experiences of financial hardship, other negative life events, and lack of a confidant—largely accounted for male-female differences. We conclude by discussing theoretical implications of these effects and address the limitations of the traditional term “vulnerability” in describing them. A prior version of this paper was presented at the North Central Sociological Association meeting in Dearborn, Michigan, April 25, 1991. Funds for the research were provided by the Michigan Health Care Research and Education Foundation and by the International Union-UAW. We are especially grateful to the men and women of the UAW, whose experiences and views form this investigation. We thank Kiseon Chung, Scott McKearney, David Rauma, and the anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier drafts.     

Gender Differences in Psychological Distress Among Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union

In this study we compared rates and correlates of psychological distress among immigrant women and men from the former Soviet Union. A demographic, migration, and social network questionnaire and the Symptom Checklist-90-R were administered to 935 female and 706 male immigrants. Older age and less time in the United States predicted distress in both gender groups. However, having less education, leaving relatives behind, and not being sponsored by friends or a religious organization predicted greater distress for women. Women reported significantly more distress than men except for those men who were married and retired.     

The predictable instability of psychological distress in college students: A comment on Flett,Vredenburg, and Krames

Flett, Vredenburg, and Krames (1995) claim that their data support the view that the apparent instability in distress among college students is artifactual. However, they have merely demonstrated that distress among college students is an unstable phenomena. Their argument that changes in distress scores have statistical rather than substantive explanations erroneously assumes that instability in distress scores is equivalent to error of measurement.     

Psychological Distress and Help Seeking in Rural America

The implications of exposure to acute and chronic stressors, and seeking mental health care, for increased psychological distress are examined. Research on economic stress, psychological distress, and rural agrarian values each point to increasing variability within rural areas. Using data from a panel study of 1,487 adults, a model predicting changes in depressive symptoms was specified and tested. Results show effects by size of place for men but not for women. Men living in rural villages of under 2,500 or in small towns of 2,500 to 9,999 people had significantly greater increases in depressive symptoms than men living in the country or in larger towns or cities. Size of place was also related to level of stigma toward mental health care. Persons living in the most rural environments were more likely to hold stigmatized attitudes toward mental health care and these views were strongly predictive of willingness to seek care. The combination of increased risk and less willingness to seek assistance places men living in small towns and villages in particular jeopardy for continuing problems involving depressed mood.     

Hurricane Andrew: Psychological distress among shelter victims

This study examined psychological distress and functioning among Hurricane Andrew victims who lost their homes and were living in shelters. Four and one-half weeks after Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida, 89 (45 males, 44 females) Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire asked for information about psychological and psychophysiological symptoms, use of mental health services, coping responses, and extent of preparation for the storm. The findings suggest that loss of home and property were related to distress and depression. About one-quarter of the sample were moderately depressed. Over one-third of the sample reported experiencing psychological and psychophysiological distress. Approximately one-half of the subjects did not take the hurricane warnings seriously. White subjects began preparing earlier for the storm, and evacuated their homes more frequently than did Black subjects. Implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.     

Anxious attachment and psychological distress in cardiac rehabilitation patients

This study investigated the relevance of anxious attachment to the differentiation of psychologically distressed and non-psychologically distressed cardiac patients. Attachment is a biologically based behavioral system in which proximity to a special other is sought or maintained to achieve a sense of safety and security. Anxious attachment, as the name denotes, fails to achieve the function of attachment in the sense of individuals having little or no confidence in the availability of their attachment figures. Empirically, three scales (feared loss of the attachment figure, proximity seeking and separation protest) capture the features of anxious attachment as elaborated by Bowlby. These scales were administered to 178 cardiac rehabilitation patients drawn from the cardiac rehabilitation program of the Calgary General Hospital. The results indicate that feared loss and proximity seeking differentiated psychologically distressed from non-psychologically distressed patients. The implications of this finding for the understanding of psychologically distressed cardiac patients are discussed.     

Adult Psychological Distress and Self-Worth Following Child Verbal Abuse

Despite the proliferation of child maltreatment research over the last 30 years, there remains a dearth of research examining the long-term effects of child psychological maltreatment (CPM), particularly child verbal abuse (CVA). Using a college sample of 173 participants from a Southeastern university, this study examined the role of gender and perpetrator relationship in predicting psychological distress and self-worth of adults exposed to CVA. Maternal CVA emerged as a significant predictor of lower levels of self-worth in adult daughters and sons as well as greater psychological distress in adult daughters. Paternal CVA did not emerge as a significant predictor of greater psychological distress or lower levels of self-worth in either adult daughters or sons.     

Psychological Distress in Caregivers of Liver and Lung Transplant Candidates

Although organ transplantation represents a stressful experience for the entire family, surprisingly little research has focused on the adjustment of caregivers. The purpose of this study was to examine what caregivers report to be the greatest benefits and stressors pretransplant, the prevalence of psychological distress and caregiver strain in pretransplant caregivers as compared to normative populations, and the physical, psychological, and demographic variables that predict distress. Fifty-two caregivers of transplant candidates (28 liver and 24 lung) completed a series of questionnaires, including the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS-SR), SF-36 Health Survey, Caregiver Strain Index (CSI), and qualitative questions about benefits and stressors. The most commonly reported benefit of being a caregiver could be categorized as Helping the Patient, and the most common stressors were associated with Uncertainty/Waiting/Fears. Compared to normative samples of caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease, caregivers of liver transplant candidates reported more caregiver strain; there were no differences for lung transplant caregivers. Caregiver social functioning was found to be the only significant predictor of caregiver distress, with those caregivers who report greater distress also reporting extreme and frequent interference with normal social activities. Implications of these findings for psychological interventions are discussed.     

The Mediating Effects of Spiritual Bypass on Depression,Anxiety, and Stress

Spiritual bypass is a defensive psychological posture that prevents people from feeling the pain of difficult emotions or experiences through 2 primary pathways: (a) Psychological Avoidance and (b) Spiritualizing. The authors collected a sample (783 participants) from the general population and tested a parallel mediation model in which 2 factors of spiritual bypass mediated the effect of spirituality on depression, anxiety, and stress. The results demonstrated that Psychological Avoidance and Spiritualizing partially mediated the effect of spirituality on depression and anxiety, whereas they completely mediated the effect of spirituality on stress. The findings are presented in the context of the study's limitations, and implications for clinical practice and research are provided.     

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for people with dementia experiencing psychological distress: A hermeneutic single-case efficacy design (HSCED) series

Introduction

People with dementia have a high prevalence of psychological distress but are underserved with evidence-based psychological interventions. To promote choice and improve clinical outcomes, there is a necessity to test different psychological intervention options for this population.

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and acceptability of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for people with dementia, considering carer-supported, remote delivery and necessary therapy adaptations.

Methods

A hermeneutic single-case efficacy design series was used to analyse the therapy process and change for three clients with dementia and psychological distress. A matrix of quantitative and qualitative data was collated (“rich case records”) and subject to critical analyses by three independent psychotherapy experts (“judges”) who identified change processes and determined the outcome for each client.

Results

Adjudication concluded that one client made positive changes, specifically reliable reductions in psychological distress, which were largely attributable to ACT. Two clients remained unchanged.

Discussion/Conclusion

Where change was achieved, the ACT-specific processes of values, committed action and acceptance, in combination with non-specific therapy factors, including a strong client–carer relationship, existing client interests and individualised therapy adaptations, were facilitative. Hence, ACT may be a feasible and effective vehicle for therapeutic change by helping carers to better meet the needs of their loved ones. Future research to optimise ACT delivery in this population may be beneficial. Furthermore, the assessment of carer factors (e.g., their psychological flexibility and the client–carer relationship) may strengthen the evidence base for systemic ACT use.     

Emotional autonomy and adjustment among emerging adults: The moderating role of family relationships

Emerging adults build their personal maturity within the family context; however, few studies focus on the role of emotional autonomy during this stage. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between emotional autonomy and adjustment during emerging adulthood, bearing in mind the possible moderating role of parental support in this relationship. Data were collected from 1,502 Spanish undergraduate students (903 women) aged between 18 and 29. Participants completed measures of emotional autonomy (EAS, Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986), family social support (MSPSS; Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet & Farley, 1988), psychological well-being (PWBS; Ryff, Lee, Essex & Schmutte, 1995) and psychological distress (DASS-21; Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). The results indicate that emotional autonomy correlates negatively with family support and psychological well-being and positively with psychological distress. However, only when young people perceive a family context with low social support is gaining emotional distance from their parents associated with an increase in their psychological well-being. Our findings highlight the crucial role that the family environment plays in well-being during young adulthood, and reveal that the effect of emotional distancing from parents on adjustment depends on the quality of the family climate. Future research should seek to gain greater insight into emotional autonomy during emerging adulthood, taking into account cross-cultural diversity.     

Coping, Conflictual Social Interactions, Social Support, and Mood Among HIV-Infected Persons

This study considers the interrelationships among coping, conflictual social interactions, and social support, as well as their combined associations with positive and negative mood. Research has shown that each of these variables affects adjustment to stressful circumstances. Few studies, however, examine this full set of variables simultaneously. One hundred forty HIV-infected persons completed a questionnaire containing measures of coping, social support, conflictual social interactions, and positive and negative mood. Factor analyses showed that perceived social support and conflictual social interactions formed separate factors and were not strongly related. Compared to perceived social support, social conflict was more strongly related to coping behaviors, especially to social isolation, anger, and wishful thinking. Conflictual social interactions were more strongly related to negative mood than was perceived social support. Coping by withdrawing socially was significantly related to less positive and greater negative mood. The findings point to the importance of simultaneously considering coping, supportive relationships, and conflictual relationships in studies of adjustment to chronic illness. In particular, a dynamic may occur in which conflictual social interactions and social isolation aggravate each other and result in escalating psychological distress.     

The Moderating Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Distress and Emotional Eating Behaviour

Current evidence and theory suggests that emotional eating resulting from attempts to manage psychological distress, such as anxiety, depression, and stress, is considered to be a major contributor to obesity. Mindfulness has been shown to be related to disordered eating behaviours. Employing a non‐clinical sample of 42 males and 115 females, the present study investigated the contribution of mindfulness as a potential moderator between psychological distress and engagement in emotional eating, while controlling for the effects of gender and general nutrition knowledge. Consistent with predictions, psychological distress was positively associated with engagement in emotional eating, while mindfulness was found to share an inverse relationship. Moreover, after controlling for gender and general nutrition knowledge, the interaction between psychological distress and mindfulness was found to significantly predict the tendency to engage in emotional eating over and above the individual effects of these variables. The findings from the current study add to the current literature supporting the use of mindfulness‐based interventions for treatment of emotional eating practices in individuals experiencing anxiety, stress, and lower levels of depression.     

The Role of Attachment in Immigrant Sociocultural Adaptation and Psychological Distress

The study extends recent research on the link between attachment security and the sociocultural and psychological adaptation of immigrants. It was hypothesised that attachment style would moderate the effects of sociocultural adaptation difficulties on psychological distress and the relationship between attachment style and immigrant background variables was explored. The study was correlational and questionnaire‐based, including a sample of 172 Brazilian immigrants living in the UK. According to the findings, secure and dismissing attachment styles moderated the effects of sociocultural adaptation difficulties on psychological distress. Preoccupied attachment style moderated the effects of previous immigration experience on psychological distress and the effects of duration of stay in the UK on concerns over terrorism. Future studies should employ longitudinal designs and include a variety of immigrant groups. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Caregivers of adults with cancer: Multidimensional correlates of psychological distress

The relationship between psychological distress and intrapersonal, family, and socioecological variables was examined in 77 caregivers of adults actively receiving cancer treatment. Results indicated that a sizable minority (29%) of caregivers was experiencing clinically significant psychological distress. Furthermore, family disturbances and maladaptive coping strategies were most predictive of psychological distress in this sample. The clinical implications of these findings in relation to the assessment and treatment of both patients and caregivers are discussed.     

Faculty Stressors, Job Satisfaction, and Psychological Distress Among University Teachers in Hong Kong: The Role of Locus of Control

The study aimed at identifying the sources of stress, and investigating their effects on job satisfaction and psychological distress among 106 university teachers (86 males, 20 females) from four tertiary institutes in Hong Kong. Another purpose of the study was to examine the moderating effect of locus of control on stressor-strain relationships. A factor analysis of the faculty stressors revealed six factors: recognition, perceived organizational practices, factors intrinsic to teaching, financial inadequacy, home/work interface, and new challenge. A series of stepwise multiple regressions demonstrated that recognition, perceived organizational practices, and financial inadequacy were best predictors of job satisfaction, whereas perceived organizational practices and home/work interface were the best predictors of psychological distress. Further, external locus of control was associated with low job satisfaction and psychological distress. A series of hierarchical moderated regressions demonstrated a moderating effect of locus of control on some of the stressor-strain relationships.     

Unemployment and Psychological Distress: Mediator Effects

The study concerned possible mediators and moderators in the relationship between unemployment and psychological distress. The sample consisted of 58 unemployed and 177 employed 36-year-old Finnish people drawn from the ongoing Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development. Data were gathered by means of a mailed questionnaire, a semistructured interview, and personality inventories. The results showed that poor economic situation, and poor self-esteem as measured by Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, mediated the relationship between unemployment and psychological distress even after controlling for the prior level of self-esteem. Psychological distress was defined as psychological ill-health (the General Health Questionnaire), depressive symptoms (the General Behavior Inventory), and anxiety (the Karolinska Scales of Personality). However, support was also found for an alternative model, in which depressive symptoms functioned as a mediator between long unemployment and poor self-esteem, suggesting that individuals may react to unemployment in different ways.     

The relationship among the transtheoretical model of behavioral change,psychological distress,and diet attitudes in obesity: Implications for primary care intervention

Obesity is prevalent but undertreated in primary care. Family practice volunteer outpatients (N=454) were administered the Stage of Change for Weight (URICA), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and the Diet Readiness Test (DRT) to assess the relationship between these variables and obesity. The body mass index (BMI) was used to classify obesity revealing 197 patients with elevated BMI's. There was no significant difference between the obese and the nonobese on any of the psychological measures. The obese reported significantly more difficulty setting diet goals and less control over their eating, ate more to emotional situations, and exercised less than the nonobese. The obese sample (46.7%) reported being in the Action stage of change for weight management. Implications for intervention in primary care include targeting attitudes (DRT) and dispelling physician attitudes that obese individuals have increased levels of psychological distress. Addressing Stage of Change for weight management can facilitate tailoring the appropriate intervention when used in concert with the DRT variables.