A unidimensional short form of the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS-7) derived using item response theory.

The Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) is the most widely used measure of hopelessness, a key psychological construct linked with various mental health outcomes. In clinical settings, the BHS has proven a reliable tool for assessing hopelessness; however, there has been debate regarding the tool's internal consistency among non-clinical populations. Most studies assessing the dimensionality of the BHS have relied on the use of classical test theory (CTT). The length of the BHS has also prompted concerns over its practicality. The BHS-9 was developed to address these critiques and formulated based on psychiatrically hospitalized adult patients. The current study investigates the dimensionality of the BHS-9 among a non-clinical sample using item response theory (Mokken scale analysis and Rasch) and CTT. The results confirm that the BHS-9 is essentially unidimensional. However, a salient finding was that Item 6 violated invariant item ordering. An exploratory factor analysis of the remaining eight items found that the items accounted for 48.05% of the variance. Further exploratory factor analyses, removing one item at a time, showed that the removal of item 18 would increase variance explained > 50%. The revised BHS-7 was found to be unidimensional and maintained strong internal consistency and criterion-related validity. This revised tool effectively captures the essence of hopelessness among a non-clinical population and presents a more refined option for the assessment of this construct.

The Perceived Stress Scale is essentially unidimensional: Complementary evidence from ancillary bifactor indices and Mokken analysis.

Stress is a significant contributor to physical and mental health. However, there is considerable variability in response to stress, underscoring the role of stress perception in health outcomes. Perceptions of stress are influenced by socio-demographic and cultural factors. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) has been used extensively to assess stress among different populations and for cross-cultural comparisons. Given its wide-ranging application, the rigorous assessment of its psychometric properties is necessary to solidify its standing as a dependable measure. The scale was originally conceptualized as unidimensional but there has been controversy regarding its factor structure, leading to various factor models. Conclusions about the structure of the PSS were largely based on fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis and often did not go beyond fit indices. In addition, classical test theory indices are sample dependent and it is not surprising that instruments can exhibit different properties in different samples. Over reliance on fit indices can lead to overly simplistic interpretations of underlying dimensionality. Hence, the current study extends this research by using item response theory and examining ancillary bifactor indices to determine the amount of variance explained by the total scale and subscales. Participants were students (n = 322) at a South African institution who completed the PSS and a demographic questionnaire. Fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a one-factor model, a bifactor model and a correlated-two factor model fit the data to an acceptable degree (GFI > 0.95, CFI > 0.90, RMSEA <0.08). Ancillary bifactor indices supported the essential unidimensionality of the scale as the two subscales accounted for 18.9 % and 17.2 %, of the variance, respectively, while the total scale accounted for 63.9 % of the variance. This was confirmed by Mokken analysis, which indicated that all the items loaded on one scale. The unidimensionality of the PSS suggests that it can be an effective clinical screening tool and that it is easily adaptable across different populations and contexts, enabling standardized comparisons. However, it may lose sensitivity to cultural differences in how stress is perceived and experienced. Hence, integrating the PSS with tailored assessments would facilitate a more robust and inclusive approach to stress assessment in various settings and populations. The study did not take specific sources of stress into account and was conducted among a distinct population group. Future studies undertaken among diverse populations and linking global stress with the impact of stressful life events are needed to further confirm our results and understand the interconnection between these factors.

Satisfied with Life? The Protective Function of Life Satisfaction in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Negative Mental Health Outcomes.

Life satisfaction is a key index of well-being, yet few studies have examined its role as a protective factor in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study expands the research in this area through an examination of the role of life satisfaction in the relationship between perceived stress and negative indices of mental health. Participants were university students (N = 322) who completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and short forms of the trait scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The results indicate that life satisfaction had a health-sustaining effect on indices of well-being. It also moderated the relationship between perceived stress, on the one hand, and anxiety and hopelessness, on the other hand. Further, life satisfaction played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress and indices of mental health. The findings suggest that life satisfaction could be a protective factor in the context of stressful life events. Cultivating life satisfaction through mindfulness training and the enhancement of gratitude could potentially sustain mental health.

Cognitive Adaptation to Stress and Trauma: The Role of Self-Appraised Problem-Solving in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: Cognitive appraisals play a fundamental role in mental health outcomes following exposure to trauma. Appraisals influence emotional reactions, coping responses, and adaptation to stress and represent a modifiable factor that can serve as a central focus for intervention. Most studies have primarily focused on the role of dysfunctional cognitions in the persistence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, we extend research in this area by investigating the role of problem-solving appraisal, an adaptive cognitive strategy, in the association between stress and PTSD. Methods: A total of 322 participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the problem-solving inventory (PSI), and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. Descriptive statistics were generated, and intercorrelations and mediation analysis were performed. Results: Problem-solving confidence and personal control partially mediated the relationship between stress and PTSD. However, contrary to existing research, the approach-avoidance style, which is a subscale of the PSI, did not mediate the relationship between these variables. Conclusion: Interventions for PTSD should incorporate a complementary focus on developing and increasing adaptive cognitions pertaining to personal control and confidence in problem-solving abilities. This could potentially form part of a broader process of rebuilding the individual's cognitive worldview following exposure to trauma.

Anxiety in Brief: Assessment of the Five-Item Trait Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory in South Africa.

The current study examined the psychometric properties of a short form of the trait scale of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Participants consisted of a convenience sample of students (n = 322) who completed the five-item version of the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, the nine-item version of the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the 10-item version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist. We used classical test theory and item response theory (Rasch and Mokken analyses) to examine the psychometric properties of a previously proposed five-item version of this scale. These approaches confirmed that the five-item measure of anxiety had satisfactory reliability and validity, and also confirmed that the five items comprised a unidimensional scale.

Promoting well-being in the face of a pandemic: the role of sense of coherence and ego-resilience in the relationship between psychological distress and life satisfaction.

COVID-19 has impacted negatively on the lives and academic activities of university students. This has contributed to increasing levels of psychological distress among this population group. Intrinsic and contextual factors can mediate the psychological impact of the pandemic. The study focuses on sense of coherence and ego-resilience as potential protective factors on indices of psychological distress and life satisfaction. Participants were undergraduate students (N = 337) at a South African university who completed six self-report questionnaires, namely, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale, the Ego-Resilience Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. To examine the direct and mediating effects of sense of coherence and ego-resilience on psychological distress, structural equation modeling was used. Compared to previous research, greater psychological distress was found in the current sample. Moreover, while the hopelessness-life satisfaction relationship was only partially mediated by protective factors, the depression-life satisfaction relationship was fully mediated by sense of coherence and ego-resilience. The direct association between ego-resilience as well as sense of coherence and life satisfaction was significant, suggesting that these factors have a health-sustaining role.

Teacher Burnout in the Time of COVID-19: Antecedents and Psychological Consequences.

The important, frontline role of teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic has often gone unrecognized, and attention to their mental health and well-being is often only the focus of scholarly research. The unprecedented challenges that teachers faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the stresses and strains associated with it have severely impacted their psychological well-being. This study examined the predictors and the psychological consequences of burnout. Participants (N = 355) were schoolteachers in South Africa who completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Role Orientation Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Centre for Epidemiological Depression Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The results of a multiple regression showed that fear of COVID-19, role ambiguity, and role conflict were significant predictors of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, while perceived infectability and role ambiguity significantly predicted personal accomplishment. Gender and age also predicted emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, respectively, and age was also a significant predictor of personal accomplishment. Generally, the dimensions of burnout were significant predictors of indices of psychological well-being-namely, depression, hopelessness, anxiety, and life satisfaction-with the exception of the association between depersonalization and life satisfaction. Our results suggest that intervention efforts to reduce burnout need to provide teachers with adequate job resources to buffer against the demands and stressors associated with their work.

The role of resilience in the relationship between role stress and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Stress resistance resources, such as social support and resilience, have been found to be important in promoting psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most prior research studies have conceptualized stress resistance resource variables as having a mediating or moderating role. Cooper (2018) proposed a model of the relationship between stress and health which posits that coping resources are always present and not only invoked in the face of adversity. Thus, we hypothesize that coping resources are causally antecedent to stressors and influence well-being indirectly via the stressor. We focused specifically on school teachers due to them being at the frontlines of service provision during the pandemic. Teaching was already identified as a highly stressful profession prior to COVID-19 and disease containment measures placed additional strain on teachers who had to adapt to emergency remote teaching. AIM: The current study tests this hypothesis by examining the indirect effects of resilience on indices of psychological health via role stress. METHODS: Participants (N = 355) were teachers who completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, the Role Stress Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. An electronic version of the questionnaires was distributed to teachers via Facebook and to officials from the Department of Education, who assisted with distribution of the electronic link to the survey. Participants were mostly women (76.6%) and mean number of years in the teaching profession was 15.7. RESULTS: Structural equation modelling results demonstrated significant direct effects of resilience on life satisfaction, anxiety, and depression, which indicates that resilience is beneficial for psychological health even in the absence of stress. Resilience also had a significant indirect effect on indices of psychological well-being via role ambiguity but not role conflict. CONCLUSION: These findings have theoretical implications for the understanding of the role of resilience in promoting psychological health among educators. Practical implications include an empirical contribution to education policy and information that can inform interventions aimed to promote resilience among educators.

Toward a Positive Life beyond COVID-19: Problem-Solving Appraisal as a Resistance Resource in the Relationship between Stress and Well-Being in Students.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major global stressor that has been associated with elevated risk of negative mental health symptoms. As a helping profession, our main task should be identifying factors that may shield individuals from the negative consequences of stress, rather than only focusing on the causes and symptoms of stress. One such factor, identified in the literature, is an individual's perception of their problem-solving skills. In this study we investigate the role of problem-solving appraisal in the association between perceived stress and psychological well-being. Participants were students (n = 322) who completed the Problem Solving Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, the short forms of the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The results demonstrate the health-sustaining benefits of problem-solving appraisal, as all dimensions of problem-solving appraisal (problem-solving confidence, approach-avoidance style, and problem-solving control) were directly associated with hopelessness and anxiety. The stress-buffering role of problem-solving appraisal with respect to hopelessness was demonstrated through the interaction between perceived stress and problem-solving appraisal. However, problem-solving appraisal did not buffer the effects of stress on anxiety. The findings indicate that problem-solving appraisal may be an important protective resource that could be beneficial for coping with other negative events and experiences beyond COVID-19. The implications of these findings for interventions are discussed.

We Are Not Islands: The Role of Social Support in the Relationship between Perceived Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Psychological Distress.

COVID-19 containment measures, including social distancing, quarantine, and confinement, significantly impacted social connectedness and contributed to heightened levels of perceived stress. Prior research has established that protective factors can mitigate emotional distress. This study investigated the protective role of social support in the relationship between perceived stress and psychological distress among a sample of university students. Participants (n = 322) completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Perceived Stress Scale, short forms of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The results indicated that high levels of perceived stress were associated with high levels of hopelessness, depression, and anxiety. In terms of direct and mediating effects, social support was significant for depression and hopelessness but not for anxiety. Furthermore, the relationship between perceived stress and depression was higher for those with high levels of social support than for those with lower levels of social support. The findings suggest that in addition to enhancing social support resources, interventions must assist students in managing the uncertainty and anxiety associated with the pandemic. Furthermore, students' appraisals of support and the extent to which support is experienced as beneficial must also be examined prior to the implementation of interventions.

Facing Your Fear of COVID-19: Resilience as a Protective Factor Against Burnout in South African Teachers.

Objective: Frontline workers have been distinctively impacted by the rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers, as frontline employees in the educational system, had to contend with unprecedented changes to their work role, as well as new job demands coupled with insufficient resources and the effects of the pandemic on their personal lives. While some teachers struggled to cope and reported intense levels of fear of COVID-19 and burnout, others were able to adapt and experienced a sense of growth and accomplishment. Therefore, the current study aimed to examine the role of resilience in the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and burnout among South African schoolteachers using a survey design. Materials and methods: Schoolteachers in South Africa (n = 355) were administered the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10. Results: The results showed a positive relationship between fear of COVID-19 and emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Moreover, structural equation modeling confirmed a health-sustaining role for resilience as it had a significant direct effect on burnout. Resilience also partially mediated the impact of fear of COVID-19 on depersonalization as well as emotional exhaustion, and fully mediated the impact of fear of COVID-19 on personal accomplishment. Conclusions: Our findings underscore that promoting individual- and institutional-level strategies to support teachers is necessary to build resilience, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectifs: Les travailleurs essentiels (ou travailleurs de première ligne) ont été particulièrement touchés par la propagation rapide de la pandémie de COVID-19. Les enseignants, en tant qu'employés clés du système éducatif, ont dû faire face à des changements sans précédent dans leur rôle professionnel, ainsi qu'à de nouvelles exigences professionnelles associées à des ressources insuffisantes et aux effets de la pandémie sur leur vie personnelle. Alors que certains enseignants ont eu du mal à faire face à cette situation et ont signalé des niveaux intenses de peur de la COVID-19 et d'épuisement professionnel, d'autres ont pu s'adapter et ont ressenti un sentiment de croissance et d'accomplissement. Par conséquent, la présente étude vise à examiner le rôle de la résilience dans la relation entre la peur de la COVID-19 et l'épuisement professionnel chez les enseignants sud-africains à l'aide d'une d'enquête spécialement dédiée à cette question. Matériel et méthode: Cette étude a considéré les enseignants d'Afrique du Sud (n = 355) sous l'angle de l'inventaire de burn out de Maslach, de l'échelle de la peur de la COVID-19 et de l'échelle-10 de résilience de Connor­Davidson. Résultats: Les résultats ont montré une relation positive entre la peur de la COVID-19 et l'épuisement émotionnel et la dépersonnalisation. De plus, la modélisation par équation structurelle a confirmé le rôle de la résilience dans le maintien de la bonne santé, car elle a un effet direct significatif sur l'épuisement professionnel. La résilience a également partiellement modéré l'impact de la peur de la COVID-19 sur la dépersonnalisation ainsi que l'épuisement émotionnel et a entièrement réduit l'impact de la peur du COVID-19 sur l'accomplissement personnel. Cette étude a aussi fourni des informations sur les interventions appropriées. Les enseignants qui souffrent de fatigue chronique, de désillusion et de dépersonnalisation courent un risque accru de problèmes physiques et psychologiques. Cela, à son tour, pourrait avoir un impact négatif sur le rendement au travail et entraîner un taux de roulement des personnels enseignants élevé ayant un impact négatif sur les expériences d'apprentissage des étudiants. L'amélioration de la résilience des enseignants face à la COVID-19 nécessite une approche à plusieurs niveaux qui se concentre à la fois sur les réponses individuelles et sur les réponses organisationnelles plus larges. Des interventions, telles que la réduction du stress basée sur la discussion, fondée sur la théorie cognitivo-comportementale et concentrée sur le recadrage cognitif des pensées stressantes, provoquant de l'anxiété, se sont avérées efficaces pour promouvoir la résilience des enseignants au niveau individuel. Conclusions: Dans l'ensemble, les résultats de cette étude confirment que la résilience est un facteur de protection important dans l'association entre épuisement professionnel et peur de la COVID-19 chez les enseignants sud-africains. Nos résultats soulignent que la promotion de stratégies individuelles et institutionnelles pour soutenir les enseignants est nécessaire pour renforcer la résilience, en particulier dans le contexte de la pandémie de la COVID-19.

From fear and vulnerability to fortitude: sustaining psychological well-being in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the societal increase in mental health disorders during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals were able to cope effectively with new mental health challenges. The heterogeneity in responses to adversity underscores the influence of protective factors in promoting coping behaviour. The current study investigates fortitude as a potential protective resource by examining the potential direct, mediating, and moderating roles of fortitude in the relationship between perceived vulnerability to disease, fear of COVID-19, and indices of psychological well-being. Participants (n = 355) were schoolteachers who completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Fortitude Questionnaire, UCLA Loneliness Scale, trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Path analysis indicated that fortitude had a health-sustaining effect that was evident in its association with all indices of psychological well-being. Fortitude also mediated the relationship between perceived vulnerability to disease and depression, anxiety, and loneliness. In addition, fortitude moderated the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression. The significant moderating and mediating effects of fortitude on psychological outcomes support its potential for counterbalancing the negative mental health impacts of COVID-19. Interventions aimed at enhancing fortigenic appraisals of self and others may prove beneficial in promoting psychological well-being.

Deriving Meaning from Chaos: The Mediating Role of the Sense of Coherence in the Serial Relationships among Fear of COVID-19, Indices of Psychological Distress, and Life Satisfaction.

The current study focused on the role of the sense of coherence (SOC) in the serial relationships among the fear of COVID-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction. It examined the hypothesis that an SOC would mitigate the impact of the fear of COVID-19 on psychological distress, which in turn would positively impact life satisfaction. Participants were school teachers (N = 355) who completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the short form of the Sense of Coherence Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. A path analysis confirmed the mediating role of the dimensions of the SOC in the relationships among the fear of COVID-19, indices of psychological distress, and life satisfaction. Specifically, comprehensibility, meaningfulness, and manageability were found to mediate the associations between the fear of COVID-19 and anxiety, and the fear of COVID-19 and hopelessness, which in turn were associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. The findings confirmed that an SOC is an important source of resilience. Interventions that facilitate the re-appraisal of stressors as challenges and enhance the awareness of practical coping strategies can build an SOC and promote mental health.

The Mediating Role of Teacher Identification in the Relationship Between Psychological Distress and Teacher Satisfaction During COVID-19.

The current study examines the potential mediating role of professional identification of school teachers in the relationship between psychological distress and teaching satisfaction. Professional identification is the extent to which an individual identifies with a professional group, including the values, beliefs, and commitment the individual has in relation to the professional group. Professional identification has been linked to negative work outcomes, such as job performance and turnover intentions, as well as to adverse mental health outcomes. In the context of education, professional identification is the extent to which teachers identify with the teaching profession. Participants (N = 355) were school teachers in South Africa who completed the Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the Professional Identification Scale, and the Teaching Satisfaction Scale. Structural equation analysis showed that professional identification plays a fully mediational role in the relationship between psychological distress and teaching satisfaction. Interventions that strengthen teachers' identification with the teaching profession should be considered a priority.

A serial model of the interrelationship between perceived vulnerability to disease, fear of COVID-19, and psychological distress among teachers in South Africa.

The current study examined the serial relationship between perceived vulnerability to disease, fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and psychological distress among school teachers. Participants were South African school teachers (n = 355) who completed the Perceived Vulnerability to Disease Questionnaire, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, trait scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Centre for Epidemiological Depression Scale. A path analysis confirmed that teachers who appraised themselves as more susceptible to disease, experienced heightened levels of fear of COVID-19, which led to heightened levels of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness. Specifically, germ aversion and perceived infectability were separately associated with heightened fear of COVID-19, which in turn was associated with heightened anxiety. This serial relationship was associated with heightened levels of hopelessness and depression. The current study extends research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among a distinct subgroup of the population.

La présente étude examine la relation entre la vulnérabilité perçue face à la maladie, la peur de la COVID-19, l'anxiété et la détresse psychologique chez les enseignants. Les participants étaient des enseignants d'école, en Afrique du Sud (n = 355). Ces enseignants ont rempli un questionnaire sur la vulnérabilité perçue face à la maladie, l'échelle de la peur de la COVID-19, l'échelle des traits du « State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ¼, l'échelle de désespoir de Beck et l'échelle du « Center for Epidemiological Depression ¼. La pandémie de la COVID-19 a eu un impact sur les établissements d'enseignement dans le monde et a conduit de nombreux pays à fermer des écoles pour réduire la transmission du virus. La fermeture des écoles a précipité une transition imprévue et sans précédent de l'enseignement traditionnel en classe à l'enseignement à distance d'urgence et a changé le travail des enseignants à bien des égards. Les enseignants ont dû apprendre rapidement à utiliser les outils numériques, adapter le contenu académique à un format de diffusion en ligne et aider les élèves et les parents à négocier la transition vers l'apprentissage à distance. Dans le même temps, les enseignants devaient également gérer l'impact de la pandémie sur leur propre vie, notamment en fournissant un enseignement à domicile à leurs propres enfants et en s'occupant des membres vulnérables du ménage. Ces multiples facteurs de stress ont été associés à des niveaux accrus de détresse psychologique, y compris la dépression et l'anxiété, chez les enseignants. L'analyse du parcours, basée sur ces différentes échelles, a confirmé que les enseignants qui se considéraient comme plus sensibles à la maladie éprouvaient des niveaux accrus de peur de la COVID-19, ce qui entraînait des niveaux accrus d'anxiété, de dépression et de désespoir. Plus précisément, l'aversion aux microbes et aux virus et la propension perçue à être infecté étaient séparément associées à une peur accrue de la COVID-19, qui, à son tour, était associée à une anxiété accrue. Cette relation séquentielle est, en outre, associée à des niveaux accrus de désespoir et de dépression. La présente étude étend les recherches sur l'impact de la pandémie de la COVID-19 sur un sous-groupe distinct de la population.

Validation of the fear of COVID-19 scale in South Africa: Three complementary analyses.

Fear is the most common response to disease outbreaks. Persistent and prolonged fear can elevate the levels of psychological distress and aggravate preexisting mental health problems. Therefore, prompted by the central role of fear in psychological responses to COVID-19, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was developed, which is the only instrument that can assess emotional fear reactions in relation to the current pandemic. In this study, we extend research on the psychometric properties of this instrument by adopting three complementary approaches: classical test theory, Rasch analysis, and Mokken analysis. Combining these methods allows for a more nuanced overview of the psychometric properties of the instrument. The sample comprised South African teachers (n = 355) who completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. All three approaches confirmed the reliability and the construct, convergent, and concurrent validity of the scale as used with South African teachers. In addition, all three approaches confirmed that the scale is sufficiently homogenous to be considered unidimensional.

La peur est la réponse la plus courante aux épidémies. Une peur persistante et prolongée peut augmenter les niveaux de détresse psychologique et aggraver des problèmes de santé mentale préexistants. Dans le cas de la pandémie de la COVID-19 qui sévit depuis presque deux ans, la peur intense du virus SARS-COV2 et celle d'être à proximité de ceux qui sont infectés par le virus s'est avérée être associée au développement de symptômes de stress post-traumatique. Par conséquent, motivée par le rôle central de la peur dans les réponses psychologiques au COVID-19, l'échelle de la peur du COVID-19 a été développée, et est le seul instrument capable d'évaluer les réactions émotionnelles de peur par rapport à la pandémie actuelle. Dans cette étude, nous étendons la recherche sur les propriétés psychométriques de cet instrument en adoptant trois approches complémentaires : la théorie classique des tests, l'analyse de Rasch et l'analyse de Mokken. La combinaison de ces méthodes permet une vue d'ensemble plus nuancée des propriétés psychométriques de cet instrument. L'échantillon des personnes étudiées qui ont rempli l'échelle de la peur de la COVID-19 comprenait 355 enseignants du primaire et du secondaire, sud-africains, résidant principalement dans la province du Cap Occidental. Les trois approches ont confirmé la fiabilité et la validité conceptuelle, convergente et concurrente de cette échelle utilisée avec les enseignants sud-africains. De plus, les trois approches ont confirmé que l'échelle est suffisamment homogène pour être considérée comme unidimensionnelle.

Gendered role of appraisals of safety in psychological outcome in relation to trauma.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated gender differences in the role of appraisals of safety in the relationship between exposure to violence and trauma-related symptoms among South African adolescents living in low socioeconomic settings. Limited research exists in developing contexts on the role of cognitive appraisals in mitigating outcome following exposure to violence. Given the prevalence of violence in South Africa and the vulnerability of youth, this type of research is valuable in identifying adolescents at risk of negative psychological outcome following exposure, and in informing intervention efforts. METHOD: Adolescents (N = 498) completed an adapted version of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (Mollica et al., 1992) and the Safety Index (Ward, Flisher, Zissis, Muller, & Lombard, 2001). RESULTS: The results indicate a significant positive relationship between all violence subscales and trauma-related symptoms, whereas a significant negative relationship was found between sense of safety and trauma-related symptoms. Important gender differences were identified in the role of appraisals of safety, with more effects noted for women than men. For men, the obtained results only demonstrated a health-sustaining role. For women, the results indicated a health-sustaining role, an indirect effect, and a stress-reducing role. CONCLUSION: These findings stress the necessity of gender-specific interventions. Assessment of psychological trauma, particularly among female adolescents, needs to include measures of cognitive appraisals related to safety. Therapeutic techniques that may be particularly beneficial to adolescent girls are those focusing on promoting sense of safety and targeting dysfunctional threat appraisals. (PsycINFO Database Record

The role of fortitude in relation to exposure to violence among adolescents living in lower socio-economic areas in South Africa.

OBJECTIVE: There is compelling evidence that a significant proportion of adolescents exposed to violence do not develop trauma-related symptoms, but adapt successfully. This differential vulnerability has propelled research into identifying factors that promote coping. This study focused on the role of fortitude in the relationship between violence and trauma-related symptoms among South African adolescents living in two low-income communities. Fortitude is derived from positive cognitive appraisals of the self, the family and external sources of support. METHOD: Adolescents (n = 498) completed an adapted version of the Harvard Trauma Scale (HTS) and the Fortitude Questionnaire (FORQ). RESULTS: Moderated regression analysis demonstrated that fortitude had a health-sustaining and stress-buffering role. Adolescents who displayed high levels of fortitude had lower levels of trauma symptoms in relation to exposure to violence (stress-buffering) and were able to maintain their levels of wellbeing irrespective of the nature and extent of such exposure (health-sustaining). CONCLUSION: The study provides evidence for fortitude as a protective factor by highlighting the role of specific cognitive appraisals related to fortitude in facilitating adaptation in relation to trauma. The study also underscores the relevance of using clinical interventions that target problematic cognitive appraisals and strengthen perceptions of coping.