Psychosocial aspects of successful ageing and resilience: critique,integration and implications / Aspectos psicológicos del envejecimiento exitoso y la resiliencia: crítica,integración e implicaciones

Abstract

As the number of older adults increases worldwide, it is becoming increasingly important to find effective ways of fostering better ageing trajectories. The models used to shape this process inform research, policy and practice and impact older adults themselves. Two important ageing models are successful ageing (SA) and resilience (RES). Aligning the conceptual framework in research contexts with those of older adults’ perspectives is an integral component of driving forward the research agenda in a manner that has the greatest potential to benefit older adults. Studies conducted with laypersons indicate that psychosocial components are important components of successful ageing models; therefore, it is imperative that these non-biomedical components are incorporated. There are many similarities between SA and RES models, but an important distinguishing feature is the incorporation of adversity into conceptualizations of resilience. SA models suggest high levels of functioning as a requirement for ageing successfully, regardless of the circumstances the individual experiences; resilience models take into account the level of adversity being experienced by the individual. Individuals can demonstrate RES by having a more positive outcome than would be expected given their level of adversity. The incorporation of psychosocial constructs into SA models and the integration of SA and RES paradigms has important implications for research and for older adults themselves. Through the promotion of models of ageing that include psychosocial components and elements of adversity, greater generalizability to a broader population is possible with enhanced potential for research derived from these efforts to more positively influence individuals’ trajectories of ageing.     

社会支持对流动儿童社会退缩的影响:心理弹性的中介作用

目的:探讨心理弹性在社会支持与流动儿童社会退缩之间的中介作用。方法:采用社会支持评定量表、青少年心理弹性量表和班级戏剧量表对258名流动儿童进行调查。结果表明:(1)活跃退缩与社会支持、心理弹性呈显著负相关; 安静退缩与社会支持相关不显著,与心理弹性呈显著负相关; 社会支持与心理弹性呈显著正相关;(2)社会支持、心理弹性显著负向预测流动儿童的活跃退缩;(3)心理弹性在社会支持与流动儿童活跃退缩之间具有完全中介作用。     

Disaster risk reduction: Psychological perspectives on preparedness

Facilitating people's ability to anticipate, prepare for and recover from disaster is an important component of the UNISDR strategy for disaster risk reduction. Following a discussion of the functional characteristics of preparedness, this paper first discusses how hazard characteristics and psychological constructs influence people's ability to anticipate uncertain future events. It then reviews how psychological theories (Health Belief Model, Protection Motivation Theory, PrE Theory, Theory of Planned Behaviour, Critical Awareness Theory, Social Marketing, Protective Action Decision Model, Social Capital, Community Engagement Theory and Social Identity Theory) can inform understanding of preparedness for likely and current hazard events. Discussion then then turns to applying concepts and theories to understanding preparedness for current disasters. The all-hazards and cross-cultural applicability of preparedness theory is discussed, as are a need for a critical appraisal of preparedness, its predictors, and the nature and development of the preparedness process and its application in facilitating effective intervention strategies.     

中学生欺凌受害对其内化问题的影响:有调节的中介模型

采用特拉华校园氛围量表、特拉华欺负受害量表、心理弹性量表、病人健康问卷抑郁量表和广泛性焦虑量表对3543名中学生进行调查。探讨中学生感知的校园氛围与心理弹性在其欺凌受害与内化性问题间的中介调节作用。结果表明:(1)在控制中学生的性别、年级及父母文化水平后,欺凌受害能显著正向预测学生的内化性问题。(2)心理弹性在欺凌受害与内化性问题间起部分中介作用。(3)中学生感知的校园氛围在欺凌受害以及心理弹性对内化性问题的影响中均有显著的调节作用。     

组织中的韧性：基于心理路径和系统路径的保护性资源建构

作为跨学科的研究构念, “韧性” (resilience)呈现出心理和系统两条独立的发展轨迹。基于心理路径和系统路径, 本文系统梳理了韧性在组织不同层面的类型特质、影响因素及测量, 依托资源保护理论, 以保护性资源的建构为主线勾勒出韧性在组织不同层面的产生路径, 并据此提出相关干预策略。未来研究可尝试探究积极事件对韧性的诱发机理以及跨层面韧性之间的促进作用, 并基于心理和系统两条发展脉络开展本土化实证研究。     

Depression and resilience mediate the relationship between traumatic life events and ill physical health: results from a population study

We set out to investigate the mediating roles of depression, resilience, smoking, and alcohol use, in the relationship between potentially traumatic life events and objective and subjective, physical and mental health in a single study. A face-to-face, population-based survey was conducted in Hong Kong (N = 1147). Information on health conditions and traumatic life events was obtained, and participants completed measures of subjective physical and mental health, depression, and resilience. Smoking and drinking were not significant mediators of the relationship between life events and both objective and subjective health. Depressive symptomatology was found to mediate the relationship between life threatening illness and subjective physical health, the relationship between abuse (physical and sexual) and subjective mental health, and the relationship between the death of a parent/partner and subjective mental health. Resilience was found to mediate the relationships between multiple traumatic life events and subjective physical and mental health. Our results indicate that psychological factors rather than biological are important mediators of the relationship between life events exposure and health. Our findings provide evidence that depressive symptomatology has a mediating role only in the case of specific potentially traumatic life events and that resilience is only a critical factor in the face of exposure to multiple traumatic events, rather than single events. Our results also indicate that behavioural factors, such as smoking and drinking, are not significant mediators of the relationship between life events and health.     

Differential Influence of Social Support in Emerging Adulthood Across Sources of Support and Profiles of Interpersonal and Non-Interpersonal Potentially Traumatic Experiences

Social support is protective against the negative effects of trauma, yet how these effects vary across sources of support and patterns of trauma exposure has not been examined. High co-occurrence exists among different types of trauma across domains and ages, yielding patterns of trauma exposure that may affect social support. This study identified profiles of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) experienced by 252 college students and examined the relationships between social support and mental health across these profiles. Five profiles emerged: “Non-Interpersonal Trauma Exposure,” “Adult Intimate Partner Violence,” “Poly-trauma Exposure,” “Low Trauma Exposure,” and “Childhood Family Violence.” The link between social support and adjustment differed across profiles. Family support was valuable for promoting resilience across patterns of PTEs. Friend and romantic partner support were related to lower mental health problems. Support from family and friends is particularly valuable in the context of adult intimate partner violence and childhood family violence.     

The role of spirituality in building up the resilience of migrant children in Central America: bridging the gap between needs and responses*

Abstract

Academic research across different disciplines has evidenced that spirituality contributes significantly to the building up of resilience. Little research, however, exists on the relationship between spirituality and resilience among displaced children. Enquiring into this particular area is urgent not only because of the increasing numbers of displaced children in the world today but also because of the insufficiency of current responses, which fail to address children’s deep questions about life, themselves, the world and God. This paper argues that spirituality has the potential to answer these deep existential needs, and, by doing so, can constitute a key resilience factor for migrant children. Furthermore, it argues for the value of using interdisciplinary approaches to explore these issues. Through a qualitative investigation involving adult professionals working with migrant children and adult faith leaders and/or experts in spirituality, this paper provides new insights into how to understand the relationship between spirituality and resilience among displaced populations, and how to nurture migrant children’s spirituality in multi-faith and non-faith settings.     

Building Solutions in Youth: Evaluation of the Human–Animal Resilience Therapy Intervention

The effectiveness of the human-animal resilience therapy (HART) intervention was examined using a randomized comparison group design with youth ages 10–18 (n = 29). Paired samples t-test analyses revealed statistically significant differences between pretest and posttest scores for anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavior inventories for participants in both the treatment and comparison groups. No significant differences were found for the self-concept or anger inventories. An analysis of variance on gain scores of the treatment and comparison groups revealed no between group differences. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

Secondary traumatic stress in emergency medicine clinicians

Previously called Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), secondary exposure to trauma is now considered a valid DSM-5 Criterion A stressor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous studies have found high rates of STS in clinicians who treat traumatically injured patients. However, little research has examined STS among Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs). The current study enrolled EM providers (N = 118) working in one of 10 hospitals to examine risk factors, protective factors, and the prevalence of STS in this understudied population. Most of the participants were physicians (72.9%), Caucasian (85.6%), and male (70.3%) with mean age of 39.7 (SD = 8.9). Overall, 12.7% of the sample screened positive for STS with clinical levels of intrusion, arousal, and avoidance symptom clusters, and 33.9% had at least one symptom cluster at clinical levels. Low resilience and a history of personal trauma were positively associated with positive STS screens and STS severity scores. Borderline significance suggested that female gender and spending ≥10% of one’s time with trauma patients could be additional risk factors. Findings suggest that resilience-building interventions may be beneficial.