Positive affect mediates the relationships between resilience,social support and posttraumatic growth of women with infertility

This study aims to explore the relationship between resilience, social support, positive affect and posttraumatic growth among Chinese women with infertility, and to examine the mediating role of positive affect. A convenience sample of 1733 women diagnosed with infertility was recruited from the infertility outpatient clinics at three reproductive hospitals in Shandong Province of China between May 2015 and April 2016. They completed a background questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Individuals reported high levels of PTG (M = 64.81; SD = 16.20). Perceived social support (β = .11, p < .001), resilience (β = .18, p < .001) and positive affect (β = .46, p < .001) were related to PTG. Positive affect may play a mediating role in the relationships between resilience (.125, .201, p < .001), social support (.055, .121, p < .001) and PTG. This study examines the effects of resilience, social support, and positive affect on PTG among Chinese infertile women. Wherein, positive affect may play a mediating role in the relationships between resilience, social support and PTG.     

The relationship among resilience,rumination and posttraumatic growth in hemodialysis patients in North China

Research has indicated that clinical serious disease may lead to posttraumatic growth (PTG). However, little is known about PTG among hemodialysis (HD) patients. The study examined the relationship among resilience, rumination and PTG among Chinese HD patients. 196 HD patients were recruited from a tertiary hospital in a Northern city of China between 1 June 2015 and 30 May 2016. Patients were surveyed using the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Chinese version, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Chinese Event Related Rumination Inventory. Correlation analyses showed that resilience was most highly positively correlated with PTG (r = .70, p < .001), deliberate rumination moderately correlated to PTG (r = .50, p < .001), and intrusive rumination was lower negatively related to PTG (r = –.26, p < .001). Regression analyses showed that age, gender, duration of dialysis, resilience and deliberate rumination had significant associations with PTG (β = ?.31, p ＜ .0001; β = –.14, p = .002; β = .10, p = .032; β = .44, p < .001; β = .20, p < .001). They together explained 65% of the total variance in PTG (F [8,195] = 46.74, p < .001). However, intrusive rumination was not associated with PTG (p > .05). The results suggested that resilience and deliberate rumination may be instrumental for PTG improvement.     

Dispositional Mindfulness,Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Academic Burnout in Chinese Adolescents Following a Tornado: The Role of Mediation through Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy

Limited research has been conducted on dispositional mindfulness, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and academic burnout in Chinese adolescents following a tornado. The present study investigated the ways in which dispositional mindfulness is related to PTSD symptoms and academic burnout in Chinese adolescents following a tornado by considering the role of regulatory emotional self-efficacy. A total of 431 Chinese adolescents (mean age: 14.75 years) who had experienced a severe tornado 9 months prior to this study were recruited for this study. The results indicated that our model fit the data well [χ²/df = 2.774, CFI = 0.952, TLI = 0.934, RMSEA (90% CI) = 0.064 (0.051–0.077)], and revealed that regulatory emotional self-efficacy partially mediates the relationships between dispositional mindfulness and PTSD symptoms and academic burnout, respectively. The clinical implications and limitations of our research, and recommendations for future research, are discussed in this paper.     

Family,School, and Peer Influences on Alcohol Abstinence and Use among American Indian and White Female Adolescents

This analysis is informed by social bonding, social learning, and self-control theories and is based on data collected between 2009 and 2013 in 27 school districts located in five U. S. regions. The sample (N = 2,140) includes female adolescents (7th–12th graders) who identified themselves as white or American Indian. In support of the social learning theory, pro-alcohol use definitions, association with peers who drink excessively, and the peers’ differential reinforcement of alcohol abuse are significant predictors of alcohol use in the racially integrated model. Conversely, when controlling for a selected group of predictors, one’s level of self-control and measures of social bond are no longer differentiating alcohol users from abstainers. Yet, additional mediation analyses show that the lack of family attachment, parental monitoring, and school attachment have significant indirect effects on alcohol use.     

Moral elevation and compassionate goals predict posttraumatic growth in the context of a college shooting

Abstract

After a mass shooting, community members may experience not only distress, but also feeling uplifted or morally elevated by others’ prosocial responses to the trauma. Those experiencing elevation may be more likely to strive to support others (compassionate goals) and to endorse posttraumatic growth (PTG). However, the role of elevation in PTG, and the relative contribution of compassionate goals (both from and toward others), remains unknown. Students, faculty, and staff (N = 385) completed measures four months after a campus shooting, and a subset repeated measures at eight months (n = 82). As expected, compassionate goals toward others incrementally predicted higher PTG beyond perceptions of compassionate goals from others. Also, elevation concurrently and prospectively predicted higher PTG. Lastly, elevation mediated effects of others’ compassionate goals on PTG, as hypothesized (95% CI = 2.59 to 5.43). These findings have implications for understanding the social and emotional processes that facilitate PTG.     

Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on posttraumatic growth of Chinese breast cancer survivors

Breast cancer (BC) patients in China suffered from a variety of psychology stress such as perceived stress and anxiety, posttraumatic growth (PTG) as a positive factor could promote their psychology health and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on promoting PTG, decreasing perceived stress and anxiety of Chinese BC patients. A randomized controlled trial of 60 BC patients (Stages I–III) was conducted. They were randomly divided to the 8-week MBSR group or usual care (UC) group. PTG inventory, Perceived Stress Scale of Chinese version (CPSS) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) evaluated the PTG level, perceived stress and anxiety at three times(before intervention-T1, after intervention-T2 and follow up at 3 months-T3). A repeated-measures analysis of variance model was used to compare each outcome measure of two groups at the three times. There was one patient discontinued the intervention and one lose to follow up in MBSR group, finally 58 BC patients completed the research. There was no difference between two groups before the intervention. The results showed significant improvements in MBSR group comparing with the UC group that PTG level was much higher after the 8-week intervention and the follow up (F = 34.73, p < .00). At the same time, CPSS (F = 14.41, p < .00) and STAI (F = 15.24, p < .00) scores were significant decreased at T2 and T3. The results showed that MBSR promoted the level of PTG and decreased perceived stress and anxiety state of Chinese BC patients, and the results persisted at three months after intervention. The research preliminary proved that MBSR was suitable to Chinese BC patients. MBSR should be recommending to BC survivors in China.     

Stressful life events and predictors of post-traumatic growth among high-risk early emerging adults

Stressful life events (SLEs) may elicit positive psychosocial change among youth, referred to as post-traumatic growth (PTG). We assessed types of SLEs experienced, degree to which participants reported PTG, and variables predicting PTG across 24 months among a sample of high-risk, ethnically diverse, early emerging adults. Participants were recruited from alternative high schools (n = 564; mean age = 16.8; 65% Hispanic). Multi-level regression models were constructed to examine the impact of environmental (SLE quantity, severity) and personal factors (hedonic ability, perceived stress, developmental stage, future time orientation) on a composite score of PTG. The majority of participants reported that positive changes resulted from their most life-altering SLE of the past two years. Predictors of PTG included fewer SLEs, less general stress, having a future time perspective, and greater identification with the developmental stage of emerging adulthood. Findings suggest intervention targets to foster positive adaptation among early emerging adults who experience frequent SLEs.     

Moderating Role of Perceived Social Support between Perceived Parenting Styles and Relational Aggression in Adolescents

This study examined the moderating role of perceived social support between perceived parenting styles and relational aggression (RA). A sample (N = 400) was selected through stratified sampling from public and private schools and colleges. Adolescents (n = 200 boys and n = 200 girls) completed (a) Demographic Performa, (b) Early Memories of Upbringing for Children to measure perceived parenting styles, (c) Social Support Questionnaire to measure perceived social support, and (d) Diverse Adolescent Relational Aggression Scale to measure RA. Statistical analyses showed that perceived social support moderated the relationship between perceived parenting styles and RA. Findings indicated that perceived social support strengthens the negative relationship between perceived father’s Overprotection parenting and RA. Results also showed that perceived social support strengthens positive relationship between perceived father’s Anxious Rearing parenting and RA. Moreover, perceived social support strengthens the positive relationship between perceived mother’s Rejection parenting and RA. Results help in implementing interventions to promote the consolidation or increment of sources that constitute adolescents with concrete and feasible actions in the cultural, educational, and counseling implications.     

Adaptation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support for Arab American Adolescents

The multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) was revised for Arab American adolescents (MSPSS-AA). Items measuring social support from significant others were omitted and items measuring support from school personnel were added based on advice from cultural experts. The sample consisted of 635 Arab American young adolescents in metropolitan Detroit. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the proposed three-factor solution (family, friends, and school personnel). Internal consistency coefficients for the three subscales of family (α = 0.63), friends (α = 0.75), school personnel (α = 0.72) were good. As predicted, perceived support from family, friends, and school personnel were inversely related to self reports of daily hassles and internalizing behavior and positively related to assistance seeking coping, which provides evidence for construct validity. Support for discriminant validity was also demonstrated with significantly larger correlations between the MSPSS-AA Family subscale and daily hassles specific to parents and the MSPSS-AA Friend subscale and daily hassles specific to peers. These finding suggest that the MSPSS-AA is reliable and valid for use with Arab-American adolescents.     

Religious coping,general coping strategies,perceived social support,PTSD symptoms,resilience, and posttraumatic growth among survivors of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti

This study examines the relationships between coping strategies, perceived social support, resilience, PTSD symptoms, and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a sample of 256 survivors of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The results of the bivariate analysis suggested a significant positive correlation between PTG and resilience, PTSD symptoms, perceived social support, positive religious coping, and active coping. There was a significant positive relationship between perceived social support and resilience and between resilience and active coping. PTSD symptoms were positively correlated with both positive and negative religious coping. Results of the multiple regression analysis indicated that positive religious coping, active coping, perceived social support, resilience, and PTSD symptoms accounted for 34% of the variance in the participants’ PTG. The strongest predictor of PTG was positive religious coping, followed by active coping, perceived social support, resilience, PTSD symptoms, and negative religious coping. Implications and recommendations for future research were discussed.     

The Significance of Military Contexts and Culture for Understanding Family Well-Being: Parent Life Satisfaction and Adolescent Outcomes

Formal systems and informal networks are presumed to be significant contexts that affect military families. Their effects on both parents and adolescents in active duty military families are examined (N = 236 families). Social organization and contextual model of family stress theories are employed as frameworks for the analyses of how dimensions of military culture influence parents’ life satisfaction, as well as key developmental outcomes of their adolescents (for example, mental health). Key findings from our analyses included a positive relationship between parents support from military leaders and fellow soldiers and parental well-being findings revealed the importance of civilian parents’ satisfaction with military life on adolescent outcomes for families that have experienced stressful military contexts. These findings provide support for the significance of multiple contexts for understanding resilience among military members and their families.     

Subjective Well-Being in Adolescence: The Role of Self-Control,Social Support,Age, Gender,and Familial Crisis

Focusing on adolescents’ subjective well-being, the present study comprised three parts. The first examined the role of two coping mechanisms, self-control and social support, in predicting subjective well-being. The second related to the role of age and gender in predicting adolescents’ subjective well-being. The third raised the question of whether exposure to familial crisis would predict adolescents’ subjective well-being and whether self-control and social support would moderate the link between crisis and adolescents’ subjective well-being. Participants included 380 adolescents ages 13–17 years (M = 15.32, SD = .98; 194 boys, 176 girls, 10 unspecified), from six integrative junior-high and high schools in central Israel. All schools served a heterogeneous Jewish student population. Based on responses to a questionnaire identifying adolescents who reported experiencing a severe life crisis during the last year (e.g., severe illness in family, parent death or separation/divorce), the sample was divided into two groups: exposure to familial crisis (n = 96) and no exposure to familial crisis (n = 284). Outcomes revealed that both self-control and social support predicted adolescents’ subjective well-being. As expected, older adolescents presented lower levels of subjective well-being than younger ones. In contrast to the hypothesis, gender did not predict subjective well-being. Although exposure to crisis did not predict higher negative affect or lower positive affect, an interaction emerged between self-control and crisis in predicting positive affect. Thus, among adolescents who experienced crisis, better self-control skills predicted higher levels of positive affect.     

Gender as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Early Separation from Parents and Psychopathic Traits in a Sample of At-Risk Adolescents

This study examined the relationship between early separation from parents and psychopathic traits in a diverse Asian community sample of at-risk adolescents. Specifically, we tested whether gender could moderate this relationship. Data on 113 at-risk adolescents were provided by their parents who participated in this study. These adolescents were between the ages of 11 and 16 years (M = 14.35; SD = 1.10). Parents provided ratings on psychopathic traits with respect to their adolescent and they also provided information on demographic variables, psychosocial and familial information. Results showed that gender moderated the link between early separation from parents and adolescent psychopathy. As hypothesized, boys who experienced early separation from parents were associated with significantly higher levels of psychopathic traits compared with boys who did not experience early separation from parents. Girls who experienced and who did not experience early separation from parents had levels of psychopathic traits that were not significantly different from each other. These findings suggest that boys appear to be more vulnerable to the negative effects of early separation from parents and early emotional parental deprivation. There are important implications of these findings for both researchers and practitioners with respect to attempting to ameliorate the negative trajectory associated with psychopathy. It is critical to pay attention to and work with children and adolescents, especially boys, who have had early disruption to parental caregiving arrangements. Additionally, it is equally important to work with to-be adoptive or foster parents on how to handle and support potentially emotionally damaged children.     

The surviving sisters club: Examining social support and posttraumatic growth among FDNY 9/11 widows

This paper examines the relationship between social support and posttraumatic growth (PTG) among a sample of 55 widows who lost their firefighter husbands in the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. Data revealed that 73% gathered informally with other 9/11 widows in the years following the attacks and 55% participated in one-on-one therapy. Results found PTG was related to attending an FDNY-sponsored support group (r = .37), one-on-one therapy (r = .37), and socializing with other FDNY widows (r = .29). Qualitative responses suggested the primary benefits of informal peer support were a shared understanding of grief, close companionship, and emotional strength.     

The associations between adult attachment,posttraumatic symptoms,and posttraumatic growth

Background and Objectives: Individual differences after trauma vary considerably and can range from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to posttraumatic growth (PTG). Current theoretical models cannot fully explain this variability. Therefore, we integrated attachment theory with Ehlers and Clark's model of PTSD to understand whether attachment style is associated with negative appraisals of a traumatic event(s), posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS), and PTG. Our aim was to test this integrated model PTSD in an analog sample who had experienced at least one traumatic event. Design: We used structural equation modeling to test the association of adult attachment and posttraumatic cognitions (self and world/others) with PTS and PTG using a cross-sectional, correlational design. Methods: The sample comprised 393 university staff and students (Range_Age= 18–49, 85% females) who completed online measures. Results: Attachment anxiety and negative posttraumatic self-cognitions were positively associated. Negative posttraumatic self-cognitions were positively associated with PTS. Attachment anxiety had an indirect effect (via negative posttraumatic self-cognitions) on PTS, whereas attachment avoidance predicted more negative posttraumatic world cognitions and lower perceived PTG. Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of considering how attachment styles influence posttraumatic emotion regulation and cognitive processing of the trauma to determine posttraumatic mental health.     

The relationship between perceived organizational support and proactive behaviour directed towards the organization

Numerous studies have shown that perceived organizational support has positive consequences on both employees and organizations. However, no study has examined the causal relationship between perceived organizational support and proactive behaviour directed towards the organization and few studies have identified potential mechanisms underlying this relationship. We first investigated the direction of causality between perceived organizational support and proactive behaviour, and hypothesized that perceived organizational support leads to proactive behaviour directed towards the organization. Second, based on social exchange and motivational perspectives, we examined two potential mechanisms underlying this relationship, i.e., felt obligation and work engagement. Employees from a Belgian Federal Public Service were invited to take part in a three-wave longitudinal survey. Using a cross-lagged panel design, our results (N = 1963) revealed that Time 2 perceived organizational support was positively related to Time 3 proactive behaviour towards the organization, whereas the reverse was not true. Additionally, our results (N = 1293) showed that Time 2 felt obligation and Time 2 work engagement mediated the positive relationship between Time 1 perceived organizational support and Time 3 proactive behaviour directed towards the organization.     

Family Support and Mental Health Service Use Among Suicidal Adolescents

Despite the fact that multiple evidence-based treatments exist for suicidal adolescents, these youth are unlikely to engage in mental health treatment. While family members can be influential in connecting adolescents to mental health care, suicidal youth are more likely to be exposed to family environments characterized by abuse, neglect, and to have poorer parent–child attachment quality than non-suicidal youth. This study analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) to examine the relationships between perceived levels of parental support, symptom severity, and mental health service use in a nationally representative sample of suicidal adolescents in the U.S. (n = 1804). Higher levels of parental support were associated with a lower likelihood of mental health service use, lower levels of depression, and lower likelihood of an actual suicide attempt. Additionally, the presence of a suicide attempt and higher levels of depression were associated with a higher likelihood of mental health service use. When mediation effects were tested, the presence of a suicide attempt partially mediated the relationship between parental support and mental health service use. Implications discussed include the protective nature of parental support the need for more family-based interventions for this population.     

Racial Discrimination and African American Adolescents’ Adjustment: Gender Variation in Family and Community Social Support, Promotive and Protective Factors

The current investigation explores the promotive and protective role of family and community-specific social support on the association between perceived racial discrimination and African American adolescents’ adjustment (e.g., depressive symptoms, school suspensions, school engagement). One thousand nine-hundred forty-two African American adolescents (ages 12–18, M = 15.12; SD = 1.83; 59 % female) from a large Midwestern city participated in this investigation. Regression analyses revealed that perceived racial discrimination was associated with less positive adjustment outcomes for boys and girls. Additionally, there was partial support for gender variation in the promotive role of social support and adolescent adjustment. In particular, while only maternal support was associated with boys’ adjustment, both maternal and paternal support was associated with girls’ adjustment. Also, there was partial support for gender differentiation in the strength and directionality of protective factors. Though in an unpredicted direction, father support moderated the relationship between perceived racial discrimination and girls’ adjustment. Community supports (religious connection and mentor presence) emerged as protective factors for boys’. Findings highlight the role of gender in understanding potential promotive and protective factors for African American adolescents.     

Emotion Beliefs and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder

Despite strong support for the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for social anxiety disorder (SAD), little is known about mechanisms of change in treatment. Within the context of a randomized controlled trial of CBT, this study examined patients' beliefs about the fixed versus malleable nature of anxiety—their ‘implicit theories’—as a key variable in CBT for SAD. Compared to waitlist (n = 29; 58% female), CBT (n = 24; 52% female) led to significantly lower levels of fixed beliefs about anxiety (M_baseline = 11.70 vs. M_Post = 7.08, d = 1.27). These implicit beliefs indirectly explained CBT-related changes in social anxiety symptoms (κ² = .28, [95% CI = 0.12, 0.46]). Implicit beliefs also uniquely predicted treatment outcomes when controlling for baseline social anxiety and other kinds of maladaptive beliefs (perceived social costs, perceived social self-efficacy, and maladaptive interpersonal beliefs). Finally, implicit beliefs continued to predict social anxiety symptoms at 12 months post-treatment. These findings suggest that changes in patients' beliefs about their emotions may play an important role in CBT for SAD.