Intergenerational coping: Examining how caregiver and child coping relate to resilience in bereaved children.

The death of a loved one can have harmful effects on children's mental health, yet some bereaved children exhibit resilience. Various caregiver and child coping strategies, including active and avoidant coping, may affect the psychosocial functioning of bereaved children. The current study recruited 78 bereaved children aged 8-17 and one of their caregivers to explore: 1) how caregivers' coping strategies affect their child's coping strategies and resilience, and 2) associations between children's coping and their resilience. Results from the active coping mediation model revealed that children's active coping was significantly associated with their resilience, and caregivers' active coping was indirectly associated with children's resilience through children's active coping. The avoidant coping model was not significant. These preliminary findings highlight the importance of promoting active coping strategies among bereaved children and caregivers.

Social problem-solving in intimate partner violence victims: Exploring the relative contributions of shame and PTSD symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the contributions of shame and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms to two dimensions of social problem-solving. METHOD: A sample of 426 women who were seeking mental health assistance following experiences of intimate partner violence completed self-report and clinician measures. Separate path analyses were conducted for problem orientation and problem-solving styles. RESULTS: In the model examining problem orientation, higher levels of shame were significantly associated with lower levels of positive problem orientation (f2 = 0.32) and higher levels of negative problem orientation (f2 = 0.92), with large effects noted. PTSD symptoms were significantly, positively associated with negative problem orientation (f2 = 0.3, large effect). When examining problem-solving styles, shame showed a significant negative association with rational style (f2 = 0.08, small effect) and significant positive associations with impulsive style (f2 = 0.45, large effect) and avoidant style (f2 = 0.48, large effect). PTSD symptoms did not return significant associations with any of the three problem-solving styles. CONCLUSION: Results indicate that shame holds notable associations with both dimensions of social problem-solving, relative to PTSD symptoms, and are discussed in light of current models of post-trauma functioning. Implications for clinical care and early intervention efforts are highlighted.

The Utility of Assessing Alexithymia, in Addition to Coping, in the Context of Posttraumatic Stress.

ABSTRACT: The distinction between alexithymia and coping in relation to posttraumatic stress has not been fully explored. The present study examined the extent to which alexithymia explained unique variance in posttraumatic stress, beyond the variance explained by coping, in a sample of trauma-exposed adults ( N = 706; M age = 19.41 years, SD = 1.5; 77.1% female). Then, we explored the effect of race on these associations, comparing participants who identified as Black ( n = 275) to those who identified as White ( n = 337). Avoidant-emotional coping showed stronger correlations (compared with problem-focused and active-emotional coping) with total alexithymia, difficulty identifying feelings, and difficulty describing feelings. In regression analyses, we found alexithymia explained unique variance in posttraumatic stress severity beyond the effect of coping. Results did not differ by racial identity. These findings suggest that despite some overlap between alexithymia and coping, each shows unique relations with posttraumatic stress.

Understanding the role of COVID-19-related workplace stress and institutional betrayal on mental health in nurses: Some heroes wear scrubs.

This study examined the association of three specific COVID-19-related workplace stressors (percentage of nursing work with COVID-positive [COVID+] patients, number of COVID-19-related patient deaths witnessed, and living separately from family for safety) and their associations with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among 391 nurses (93.6% White, 93.4% utilize she/her pronouns). Cross-sectional data were collected via an online survey. Institutional betrayal (i.e., the perception that an institution failed to protect a member who depends on and trusts it) was examined as a moderator of these associations. Although institutional betrayal was not a significant moderator in the three individual models, it held small-to-medium-sized positive main effects with PTSS and symptoms of GAD and MDD in both the individual and combined models. In the individual models, the percentage of nursing work with COVID+ patients was significantly positively associated with all three mental health conditions, f2 = .019-.195, whereas it only showed a significant effect with PTSS in the combined model, f2 = .138. Living separately from family was significantly positively associated with PTSS and MDD symptoms in both the individual, f2 = .037 and .015, respectively, and combined models, f2 = .025 and .013, respectively. Number of patient deaths held a significant positive association with PTSS alone, f2 = .022, in the individual model only. The findings are discussed in light of ways in which health care settings can better support and prioritize mental health among nursing staff.

Alcohol Use and Mental Health Symptoms in Nurses during the Early Months of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: The current study examined associations of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and generalized anxiety disorder [GAD] with alcohol consumption and drinking to cope in a sample of 310 nurses during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Using a cross-sectional design, nurses completed online surveys. RESULTS: Over 50% of the sample reported alcohol misuse and 12.2% reported drinking to cope. Further, 38.7% reported elevated symptoms of PTSD, 29.7% moderate-to-high symptoms of depression, and 56.8% elevated symptoms of GAD symptoms. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine how mental health symptoms were associated with alcohol outcomes, controlling for age, gender pronouns, education, and race. No significant predictors emerged for alcohol consumption. Significant associations of symptoms of PTSD and depression were found for drinking to cope, such that higher levels of mental health symptoms were associated with greater endorsement of drinking to cope. CONCLUSION: Results are discussed in light of increasing prevention and support services for nurses.

Do latent profiles of self-reported anxiety, depression, and PTSD map onto clinician ratings? An examination with intimate partner violence survivors.

OBJECTIVE: Studies exploring latent profiles of mental health in trauma survivors have largely relied on self-report, making it unclear whether these patterns correspond with clinician-assessed psychopathology. The purpose of the current study was to examine latent profiles of self-reported PTSD, depression, and anxiety in a sample of 387 women who had experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and investigate whether profiles mapped onto clinician-rated measures of the same outcomes. METHOD: Participants completed a series of semi-structured interviews and self-report measures assessing PTSD, depression, and anxiety. RESULTS: Latent profile analyses revealed a 3-profile solution characterized by Low (22.48 %), Moderate (37.98 %), and High (39.53 %) self-reported symptomology. Clinician ratings were significant predictors of membership in the low vs. moderate vs. high symptomology profiles. However, normalized means showed discrepancies between self-report and clinician assessment regarding which issue was rated most severe. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that while latent modeling approaches relying on self-report may adequately approximate common underlying patterns of psychopathology, they have limitations in identifying which disorders are most salient for clinical intervention.