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According to the Work/Family Border Theory, the pandemic-induced disruptions, such as widespread teleworking adoption, have blurred work and family boundaries. Meanwhile, the Work-Home Resources Model posited that the impact of such disruptions on work-family conflicts and mental health depends on individual resources. Building on previous research, this study hypothesised that self-compassion and self-control mitigate pandemic burnout by reducing work-family conflicts during pandemic. In particular, we proposed that the proactive nature of self-compassion motivates individuals to seek resources for managing work-family conflicts, while self-control translates this motivation into action through behavioural regulation and adaptive coping. Using a three-wave longitudinal design with 568 participants in China during heightened pandemic severity, the study revealed that both self-compassion and self-control were associated with lower pandemic burnout, mediated through reduced work-family conflict. The indirect effect of self-compassion on pandemic burnout via work-family conflicts was significant only for individuals with high or average self-control, emphasising the complementary role of both factors. Our findings underscore the protective value of self-compassion and self-control in navigating work-family conflicts during collective adversities, advocating for their incorporation in theoretical frameworks and practical intervention.
RESUMO
Two studies were conducted in Hong Kong to validate a brief measure of family resilience based on the three-factor CPR model. The CPR model stipulates that family resilience comprises three major factors: Communication and Connectedness (C), Positive Framing (P), and External Resources (R). Study 1 abbreviated the 16-item Family Resilience Scale (FRS16) into six items (FRS6) with a parent sample in the community (N = 1270). Study 2 tested the validity of the FRS6 with a single parent sample (N = 336). The result of Study 1 suggests a dominant general family resilience factor structure with three distinct subfactors. The highest factor loading items from each of the three subfactors were retained in the six-item FRS6. The resultant FRS6 was internally consistent and related to various correlates in similar or better strengths as compared to the FRS16. The results of a separate sample in Study 2 indicated that the FRS6 demonstrated satisfactory internal reliability and correlated significantly with individual resilience, quality of life, anxiety, and depression in the expected directions. Both studies supported that the FRS6 is a psychometrically sound measure of family resilience and can be used in longitudinal studies that aim to chart the trajectory of family adjustment following life adversities.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: The global population of women of menopausal age is quickly increasing. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an accelerated increase in the use of telehealth services, especially technological solutions targeting women's health. Understanding the factors behind midlife women's help-seeking behaviors amidst the pandemic will assist in the development of person-centered holistic telehealth solutions targeting menopausal and postreproductive health. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the factors underlying help-seeking for menopausal distress among midlife women in the United States and China. METHODS: We conducted 2 web-based panel surveys in the United States using Amazon Mechanical Turk and in China using Credamo between July and October 2022. A total of 1002 American and 860 Chinese women aged between 40 and 65 years took part in the survey. The survey was designed based on the Health Belief Model with questions related to their menopausal knowledge, perceived severity of menopausal symptoms, perceived susceptibility to menopausal distress, perceived benefits of help-seeking, perceived COVID-19- and non-COVID-19-related barriers against help-seeking, self-efficacy, and motivation to seek help. Structural equations models were fitted for the data using full information maximum likelihood to manage missing data. RESULTS: Knowledge was not directly related to help-seeking motivation in both samples. Among the Chinese sample, knowledge was negatively related to perceived severity but positively related to COVID-19-related barriers; in turn, higher perceived severity, benefits, COVID-19-related barriers, and self-efficacy and lower non-COVID-19-related barriers were related to more motivation to seek help. In the US sample, knowledge was negatively related to perceived severity, susceptibility, benefits, barriers (COVID-19- and non-COVID-19-related), and self-efficacy; in turn, higher self-efficacy, COVID-19-related barriers, and benefits were associated with more help-seeking motivation. The factors explained 53% and 45.3% of the variance of help-seeking motivation among the American and Chinese participants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed disparate pathways between knowledge, health beliefs, and the motivation for help-seeking among American and Chinese midlife women with respect to menopausal distress. Our findings show that knowledge may not directly influence help-seeking motivation. Instead, perceived benefits and self-efficacy consistently predicted help-seeking motivation. Interestingly, concern over COVID-19 infection was related to higher help-seeking motivation in both samples. Hence, our findings recommend the further development of telehealth services to (1) develop content beyond health education and symptom management that serves to enhance the perceived benefits of addressing women's multidimensional menopausal health needs, (2) facilitate patient-care provider communication with a focus on self-efficacy and a propensity to engage in help-seeking behaviors, and (3) target women who have greater midlife health concerns in the postpandemic era.