The 12-Step Pathway to Spiritual Growth and Gratitude and Its Relationship With Well-Being Among the Members of Sexaholics Anonymous in Poland.

Despite the well-established role of mutual-aid groups in addiction treatment, no research has yet explored the role of the 12-step pathway in spiritual growth and gratitude, or its direct and indirect relationships with well-being among individuals with compulsive sexual behavior disorders (CSBD). The purpose of the current study was to examine the number of 12 steps completed as an antecedent of spiritual growth and gratitude and its relationship with well-being among members of Sexaholics Anonymous (SA). The sample consisted of 80 individuals (72 men and 8 women) attending SA meetings in Poland. The study variables were measured using the Daily Spiritual Experiences Scale, Gratitude Questionnaire, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and a single question regarding the number of 12 steps completed. A path analysis showed that the number of 12 steps completed was negatively and directly related to negative affect. Moreover, the number of 12 steps completed was related to higher spiritual growth, which was directly related to higher levels of life satisfaction and lower levels of negative affect, and indirectly, through gratitude, to higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect. The results suggest that spiritual growth, rooted in the 12-step program, and its ability to increase gratitude, may promote recovery from CSBD.

Patterns of work-related stress and their predictors among emergency department nurses and emergency medical services staff in a time of crisis: a latent profile analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that a disease outbreak may cause high stress among healthcare workers. However, the vast majority of those studies applied a variable-centered approach, in which relationships between the variables are believed to be identical across the studied population. The main purpose of this study was to identify latent profiles of healthcare workers with similar combinations of levels of various work-related stressors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to examine their predictors. METHODS: A cross-sectional paper-and-pencil study was conducted among a convenience sample of 297 emergency department (ED) nurses and 219 emergency medical services (EMS) staff members working in 10 hospital EDs and 52 EMS centers in Ardabil province, Iran. Data were collected using the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool (HSE-MS IT). RESULTS: Using the latent profile analysis (LPA), five work-related stress profiles were identified: "high stress with a good understanding of one's job role" (11.1%), "moderate stress" (41.9%), "relatively high stress with average demands and a very low understanding of one's job role" (23.8%), "low stress" (18.0%), and "generally low stress but with very high job demands and relational conflicts" (5.2%). Age, marital status, service location, workplace, and the number of overtime hours significantly predicted profile membership. CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggest the importance of incorporating various sources of stress and using the person-centered approach when investigating the work-related stress of healthcare workers during disease outbreaks. Identifying sociodemographic and work-related predictors of profile membership may be useful for preparing interventions that will be better suited to healthcare workers' needs.

Does Forgiveness Underlie the Relationship Between Religiosity and Meaning in Life Among Members of Sexaholics Anonymous in Poland?

Religiosity and meaning in life are recognized as factors supporting recovery from addictions. However, little is known about the moral mechanisms involved in the relationship between religiosity and meaning in life among individuals with addictions. The main purpose of this study was to test the direct and indirect (through forgiveness by God/higher power and interpersonal forgiveness) relationships between subjective religiosity and the presence of meaning in life among 80 members (72 men and 8 women) of Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) in Poland. The following measures were used: a single-item measure of subjective religiosity, subscales from the Forgiveness Scale and the Heartland Forgiveness Scale, and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. The sequential mediation model was tested using Hayes PROCESS macro. The results showed a direct positive relationship between subjective religiosity and the presence of meaning in life. Moreover, subjective religiosity was positively related to forgiveness by God/higher power, which, in turn, directly and indirectly (through interpersonal forgiveness) predicted higher levels of the presence of meaning in life. The study suggests that among SA members, religious faith facilitates perceiving one's own life as meaningful, both directly and indirectly, through aspects of forgiveness. Members of SA may benefit from their belief in God/higher power and religiously-rooted forgiveness to support the meaning-making processes.

The Effect of Baseline Patterns of Spiritual Coping, Forgiveness, and Gratitude on the Completion of an Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program.

The purpose of this study was to identify distinct profiles of persons beginning alcohol addiction therapy with similar baseline configurations of spiritual coping, forgiveness, and gratitude. The associations between latent profile membership and the completion of therapy were also examined. The sample was composed of 358 alcohol-dependent persons receiving an outpatient treatment program. The Spiritual Coping Questionnaire, the Forgiveness Scale, and the Gratitude Questionnaire were used to assess the baseline levels of spirituality-related variables. Using latent profile analysis, five profiles were identified: (1) both moderately positive and negative dimensions of spirituality (33.2%), (2) moderately positive dimensions of spirituality (21.0%), (3) predominantly negative dimensions of spirituality (20.2%), (4) mixed dimensions of spirituality with the lowest positive religious coping (14.0%), and (5) highly positive dimensions of spirituality (11.6%). Notably, the latent profiles differed in terms of the treatment completion rates. The results suggest the need to carry out a multidimensional assessment of spiritual functioning of persons beginning alcohol addiction therapy to provide treatment that is adjusted to patients' spiritual potential and deficits.

Spirituality and Mental Health Care in a Religiously Homogeneous Country: Definitions, Opinions, and Practices Among Polish Mental Health Professionals.

This qualitative study involved a sample of 121 Polish mental health professionals who were interviewed about their definitions of spirituality and their opinions and practices concerning the inclusion of clients' spirituality in therapy. Using inductive content analysis, we identified seven categories regarding the definitions of spirituality: (1) relationship, (2) transcendence, (3) dimension of functioning, (4) a specific human characteristic, (5) searching for the meaning of life, (6) value-based lifestyle, and (7) elusiveness and indefinability. The majority of respondents claimed to include elements of spirituality in therapy. However, some participants included spirituality only under certain circumstances or conditions, or did not include it at all, citing lack of need, lack of a clear definition of spirituality, their own insufficient knowledge, lack of experience, fear, or concern over ethical inappropriateness. Implicit techniques were primarily used when working on clients' spirituality. This article deepens the knowledge on including spirituality in mental health care, with special consideration for a specific context of a highly religious and religiously homogenous culture.

Sex Differences in Spiritual Coping, Forgiveness, and Gratitude Before and After a Basic Alcohol Addiction Treatment Program.

The aim of the study was to examine the sex differences in the initial level of spiritual coping, forgiveness, and gratitude and changes occurring in these areas during a basic alcohol addiction treatment program. The study involved 112 persons, including 56 women and 56 men, who started and completed a basic alcohol addiction treatment program at day care units of 11 treatment centers. Two measurements were taken: one in the first week of the treatment, and one in the last week (5th-7th week after baseline). The Spiritual Coping Questionnaire, the Forgiveness Scale, and Gratitude Questionnaire were used. When starting the therapy, women had a higher level of negative spiritual coping (p = .024) and a lower level of forgiveness of others (p = .041) than men. During the therapy, positive changes in spiritual coping occurred in both sex groups, although in the case of women they involved improvements in more domains and they were stronger. The increase in the level of moral values (except for self-forgiveness) was noted solely in women. The study reveals the need to take sex differences into consideration when introducing spiritual elements into the therapy.

Multidimensional Approach Toward Spiritual Coping: Construction and Validation of the Spiritual Coping Questionnaire (SCQ).

The aim of the research was to construct the Spiritual Coping Questionnaire (SCQ). Two studies have been carried out: the first on the sample of 1,296 persons facing stressful situations, and the second, on 352 persons undergoing alcohol addiction therapy. The first study provided data for PCA and CFA, calculation of internal consistency, test-retest reliability and descriptive statistics of the questionnaire. The second study allowed the author to verify the construct and criterion validity of the tool. The final version of the SCQ is composed of 32 items constituting two scales: positive and negative spiritual coping. The scale of positive spiritual coping includes four subscales-domains (personal, social, environmental and religious), and the scale of negative spiritual coping, three subscales (personal, social and religious). The validity and reliability of the tool are satisfactory. The questionnaire can be used to measure spiritual coping, both among religious and non-religious people.

Involvement in Sexaholics Anonymous and life satisfaction: The mediating role of meaning in life and hope.

Background and aims: Some people are preoccupied with their sexual urges and fantasies and lose control over their sexual behaviors, which can cause adverse consequences for their health and well-being. One of the options available for individuals seeking treatment for compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) is a self-help group based on the twelve-step program. The main purpose of the current study was to examine the direct and indirect (through meaning in life and hope) relationships between involvement in Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) and life satisfaction. Methods: The sample consisted of 80 Polish members of SA (72 men and 8 women) with a mean age of 38.96 years (SD = 10.56). The Sex Addiction Screening Test-Revised, the Meaning of Life Questionnaire, the Herth Hope Index, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and items adapted from the Alcoholics Anonymous Involvement Scale were used to measure the study variables. Results: Path analysis showed a direct positive relationship between SA involvement and life satisfaction. Moreover, the relationship between these variables was mediated by the presence of meaning in life and hope. Simultaneously, more severe symptoms of CSBD were related to lower levels of the presence of meaning in life and higher levels of the search for meaning in life, which, in turn, predicted lower levels of life satisfaction. Discussion and conclusions: The results suggest that finding meaning in life and restoring hope partly underlie the relationship between SA involvement and life satisfaction.

The Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale May Be Simplified and Diagnostically Improved: The Same Prevalence but Different Severity and Risk Factors of Food Addiction among Female and Male Students.

The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) is the most commonly used scale for measuring food addiction (FA). The previous approach to the YFAS and its subsequent versions assumed dichotomization of items, separating addiction symptoms and clinical significance items, and factorial validity testing on a subset of items. In this paper, we discuss the drawbacks associated with these procedures. In addition, we present a different analytical approach to investigate the validity of the modified YFAS (mYFAS) along with an alternative scoring method that overcomes limitations related to the previous approach. After establishing the structure of the mYFAS, we investigated the potential antecedents and consequences of FA separately for men and women. The sample consisted of 1182 Polish undergraduate students (613 women, 559 men, 10 missing values on gender) with a mean age of 20.33 years (SD = 1.68; range: 18-36). They were asked to complete self-report questionnaires measuring FA, personality traits (Big Five), self-esteem, narcissism, self-efficacy, social anxiety, loneliness, and well-being indicators. Due to the low content, factorial, and clinical validity, the first three items were excluded from the Polish version of the mYFAS. The six-item mYFAS demonstrated measurement invariance, allowing for meaningful comparisons between genders and yielded almost identical prevalence rates for men and women. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that, narcissism, and social anxiety predicted FA in both genders, whereas important gender differences in antecedents were also noted. In addition, FA was associated with body mass index (BMI) and most of the well-being indicators, even after controlling for relevant variables. The findings suggest that our modified analytical approach allows researchers to measure FA using a valid, useful, and simple tool.

Subjective Well-Being of Primary and Secondary School Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Latent Profile Analysis.

This study employs a person-oriented approach to examine the heterogeneity of samples of primary school students (N = 2,333; 56.5% girls) and secondary school students (N = 2,329; 62.9% girls) in terms of levels of subjective well-being (SWB) in five domains: family, friends, school experience, body, and the local area. The study was conducted in Poland during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The latent profile analysis revealed five profiles among primary school students and six profiles among secondary school students. The profiles identified among primary school students had their counterparts among secondary school students and included "highly satisfied," "moderately satisfied," "highly dissatisfied," "satisfied with their family life and local area and dissatisfied with their friends," and "satisfied with their family life and friends and dissatisfied with their local area" profiles. In both samples, the profile with high levels of satisfaction in all domains was the most numerous. Moreover, in secondary school students, we identified the sixth profile, which was highly satisfied with their friends and dissatisfied in other domains. We also noted that gender, age, type of school and positive relationships with others predicted the latent profile membership. The results of this study indicate the need to utilize the person-oriented approach to gain insight into various patterns of children's SWB. Moreover, the study provides some practical recommendations for preparing tailored interventions aimed at improving children's SWB. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12187-022-09952-2.

Subpopulations of Addictive Behaviors in Different Sample Types and Their Relationships with Gender, Personality, and Well-Being: Latent Profile vs. Latent Class Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Relatively strong theoretical assumptions and previous studies concerning co-occurring addictive behaviors suggest a subpopulation representing general proclivity to behavioral addictions (BAs), and there are gender-specific subpopulations. This study aimed to compare latent profile analysis (LPA) and latent class analysis (LCA) as the methods of investigating different clusters of BAs in the general student population and among students positively screened for at least one BA. Participants and procedure: Analyses of six BAs (study, shopping, gaming, Facebook, pornography, and food) and their potential antecedents (personality) and consequences (well-being) were conducted on a full sample of Polish undergraduate students (N = 1182) and a subsample (n = 327) of students including individuals fulfilling cutoff for at least one BA. RESULTS: LPA on the subsample mostly replicated the previous four profiles found in the full sample. However, LCA on a full sample did not replicate previous findings using LPA and showed only two classes: those with relatively high probabilities on all BAs and low probabilities. LCA on the subsample conflated profiles identified with LPA and classes found with LCA in the full sample. CONCLUSIONS: LCA on dichotomized scores (screened positively vs. negatively) were less effective in identifying clear patterns of interrelationships between BAs based on relatively strong theoretical assumptions and found in previous research. BAs can be investigated on the whole spectrum of behavior, and person-centered analyses might be more useful when they are based on continuous scores. This paper provides more detailed analyses of the four basic clusters of BAs, prevalence, and co-occurrence of particular BAs within and between them, their gender and personality risk factors, relationships to well-being, and their interrelationships as emerging from the results of this and previous studies.

Profiles of potential behavioral addictions' severity and their associations with gender, personality, and well-being: A person-centered approach.

BACKGROUND: Addictions share common etiological factors associated with personality vulnerabilities such as narcissism or emotional instability. Also, there are gender differences in the type of and risk for addiction (e.g., men may be more prone to addictions, overall). These are considerably less understood in relation to behavioral addictions (BAs) than in substance use disorders. This study aimed to investigate associations between profiles of six potential BAs (study, shopping, gaming, Facebook, pornography, and food) and gender, personality, and well-being among Polish emerging adults, as a partial replication and extension of previous work. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: In a paper-and-pencil cross-sectional study, 1182 Polish undergraduate students (mean age = 20.33 years; SD = 1.68) completed questionnaires measuring six potential BAs alongside questions on demographic variables, personality traits (Big Five, narcissism), and well-being indicators (general quality of life, health quality, sleep quality, perceived stress, anxiety, and hopelessness). RESULTS: Using latent profile analysis, four profiles were identified: (1) elevated levels of study, Facebook, shopping, and food addictions; (2) elevated levels of gaming and pornography addictions; (3) low or average levels of all potential BAs, and (4) highest levels of all potential BAs. The second and fourth profiles included men predominantly, and the first profile included almost exclusively women. The fourth profile, in comparison to all other profiles, demonstrated significantly higher scores on all potential BAs, narcissism, lowest conscientiousness and emotional stability, and lowest well-being. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that there is a general proclivity to potential BAs. Furthermore, there are gender-specific profiles of potential BAs, which at present are poorly understood.