Life satisfaction and job and personal resources among public workers with non-standard work schedules.

BACKGROUND: While the link between non-standard work schedules and poor health outcomes is established, few studies have examined how resources both in and outside of work can support the well-being of workers with non-standard work schedules. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional survey, we assessed the association between one facet of well-being, life satisfaction, and job and personal resources. In 2019, an electronic survey was administered to two unionized, public service populations who work non-standard work schedules: transportation maintainers and correctional supervisors. We assessed life satisfaction with a 10-item scale; a broad set of job resources (reward satisfaction, supervisor support, co-worker support, schedule satisfaction, and working hours fit); and a broad set of personal resources (health status, sleep, physical activity, and finances). We used log-binomial regression models to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals among statistically significant univariate predictors. RESULTS: Of the 316 workers surveyed, the majority were male (86%), White (68%), and reported positive life satisfaction (56%). In multivariate models, the prevalence of positive life satisfaction was higher in workers reporting reward satisfaction (PR:1.35, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.65; p = 0.003), good work schedule fit (PR:1.43, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.83; p = 0.004), good health (PR:2.92, 95% CI: 1.70, 4.99; p < 0.0001), and good finances (PR:1.32, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.72; p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Employers should consider increasing work recognition, as well as improving schedule fit, financial well-being, and overall good health in support of worker life satisfaction and ultimately well-being.

The importance of creating the right conditions for group intervision sessions among medical residents- a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The burnout rates among residents urge for adequate interventions to improve resilience and prevent burnout. Peer reflection, also called group intervision sessions, is a potentially successful intervention to increase the resilience of young doctors. We aimed to gain insight into the perceived added value of intervision sessions and the prerequisite conditions to achieve this, according to residents and intervisors. Our insights might be of help to those who think of implementing intervision sessions in their institution. METHODS: An explorative, qualitative study was performed using focus groups and semi-structured interviews with both residents (n = 8) and intervisors (n = 6) who participated in intervision sessions in a university medical center in the Netherlands. The topic list included the perceived added value of intervision sessions and factors contributing to that. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using NVivo. Thematic analysis was subsequently performed. RESULTS: According to residents and intervisors, intervision sessions contributed to personal and professional identity development; improving collegiality; and preventing burn-out. Whether these added values were experienced, depended on: (1) choices made during preparation (intervisor choice, organizational prerequisites, group composition, workload); (2) conditions of the intervision sessions (safety, depth, role of intervisor, group dynamics, pre-existent development); and (3) the hospital climate. CONCLUSIONS: Intervision sessions are perceived to be of added value to the identity development of medical residents and to prevent becoming burned out. This article gives insight in conditions necessary to reach the added value of intervision sessions. Optimizing preparation, meeting prerequisite conditions, and establishing a stimulating hospital climate are regarded as key to achieve this.

Enhancing resilience and well-being among low-SES populations: The mediating effect of community resources.

Residents of low-socioeconomic status (SES) neighborhoods suffer from social, economic, and health problems and high exposure to crime and neglect. Based on the social cure approach, the study aimed to examine whether community resources are associated with resilience and well-being, and whether they mediate the associations between personal resources and these outcomes. The moderating effect of participating in community activity was also investigated. A total of 400 residents of low-SES communities, 200 of whom were community activists, completed questionnaires measuring personal resources, community resources, and the outcomes (resilience, well-being). Structural equation modeling revealed the mediating role of community resources. Moderation analysis indicated that different paths led to the outcomes among activists and nonactivists. The results indicate that personal resources alone do not substantially enhance welfare in low-SES communities, but should be channeled through community belonging and commitment. Moreover, professionals working with these communities should take into account the distinctions between activists and nonactivists.

The relationship between social support, self-efficacy, and asthma outcomes in older adults.

OBJECTIVE: There has been a call for research examining factors that influence asthma outcomes in older adults because of the notable disparities observed in this age group. Social support and self-efficacy are resources that factor into asthma outcomes. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between these resources (independently and jointly) and asthma control and quality of life. METHODS: Older adults with moderate-severe asthma were recruited from NYC. Data were obtained during in-person interviews via validated measures of social support, asthma self-efficacy, asthma control, and asthma quality of life. Linear regression evaluated self-efficacy in the relationship between social support and asthma outcomes. RESULTS: In a sample of 359 older adults (M = 68.04, 47.9% Hispanic, 26.5% Black, and 25.6% other), social support had an inverse association with asthma control. As social support increased, asthma control decreased (ß = 0.95, t(356) = -3.13, p = .002). Self-efficacy significantly moderated this relationship (ß = 0.01, t(356) = 2.37, p = .018). For individuals with low or moderate asthma self-efficacy, more received social support was associated with worse asthma control (ß = -0.33, t(356) = -4.66, p < .0001; ß = -0.20, t(356) = -3.21, p = .0014, respectively). For individuals with high self-efficacy, no relationship was found between received social support and asthma control (ß = -0.10, t(356)= -1.20, p =.23). For asthma quality of life, higher levels of received social support were associated with worse quality of life (ß = -0.88, t(356) = -2.64, p = .009), but this association was not significantly moderated by self-efficacy (ß = 0.01, t(356) = 1.90, p = .0582). CONCLUSIONS: For older adults with asthma, receiving more social support is associated with worse asthma outcomes, especially for older adults with lower asthma self-efficacy.

The motivation of breast cancer patients to participate in a national randomized control trial.

PURPOSE: Clinical trials are essential for development of better cancer care. Therefore, patient willingness to participate in these trials is important. The aim of this study was to assess motivation and thoughts of breast cancer patients concerning participation in a clinical trial. METHODS: Twenty-one patients participated in two semi-structed interviews about participating in a clinical trial testing the efficacy of cryotherapy for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in breast cancer patients treated with paclitaxel. The interviews took place before and after the intervention and were coded and categorized following the steps in Braun & Clarke's thematic analysis to identify motivational factors and experiential themes. RESULTS: Four overarching themes were identified: (1) reasons to participate in the trial, (2) personal resources, (3) safety, and (4) experience of the randomization. The most frequent reason for participating in the trial was to support research and help others, but many also participated hoping to receive the intervention treatment. The study showed that a surplus of personal resources played an important role when the patients decided to participate in the trial. Differences were found between patients belonging to the intervention and the control group in relation to these themes. Finally, both groups experienced the extra examinations received during the trial as an additional source of safety. CONCLUSION: This qualitative study found different factors influencing the experience of participating in a clinical trial, e.g., intervention-status, personal resources, and safety. This knowledge can be valuable when planning future clinical trials involving breast cancer patients.

The personal growth resources of the adult population following the first months of the war in Ukraine.

We aimed to determine the peculiarities of personal growth resources among the adult population following the first months of the war in Ukraine. The study, which included 1257 respondents (32.3% male and 67.7% female, aged 18-61+ years), used the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Expanded, the Brief Resilience Scale, the Professional Hardiness Questionnaire and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. We found the following descending sequence of expression of the components of personal growth: appreciation of life, spiritual and existential changes, relations to others, new possibilities and personal strengths. Personal resources included resilience, professional commitment, professional control, professional challenge acceptance and self-efficacy, of which the last two were the most important. All indicators of personal growth were significantly higher in women but were more closely related to personal resources in men. Our findings suggest directions interventions should take to promote the Ukrainian adult population's personal growth and prevent negative mental health consequences.

Factors predicting job performance of nurses: A descriptive predictive study.

AIM: This study investigated the job performance and predictability of job demands, job resources, personal resources, work engagement, job crafting, and the transformational leadership of nurse managers on this among nurses in Myanmar. BACKGROUND: The ongoing crisis of nursing shortages along with heavy workloads combines to form a major challenge in Myanmar and these affected the job performance of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Utilizing a stratified random sample of 474 nurses from tertiary-level general hospitals in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, a descriptive predictive analysis was carried out. The Demographic Data Sheet, Job Performance Scale, Work Engagement Scale, Job Demands Scale, Job Resources Scale, Personal Resources Scale, Job Crafting Scale, and Global Transformational Leadership Scale were utilized to collect data. RESULTS: The overall level of job performance was perceived to be high, considering various factors such as job demands, personal resources, work engagement, and job crafting were found as significant predictors of nurses' job performance, explaining 63.30% of the total variance. DISCUSSION: These findings make a valuable contribution toward enhancing nurses' job performance by addressing job demands, fostering work engagement, and nurturing their job-crafting capabilities. Self-reporting data collection may not have accurately represented the actual level of study variable. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted factors that significantly affect nurses' job performance in general hospitals in Myanmar. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: The findings provide important evidence for nursing administrators and policymakers wishing to develop strategies to enhance the working environment and remain active in helping the performance of nurses.

The Role of Religiosity and Spirituality in Helping Polish Subjects Adapt to Their Tinnitus.

This study aims to assess whether religiosity and spirituality might be significant internal resources that help people with tinnitus to adapt to their condition. The study group comprised 256 Polish patients with tinnitus (123 women and 133 men) who answered the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Tinnitus Functional Index (both of which measure tinnitus annoyance) and the Self-Description Questionnaire (which measures: religious attitudes, ethical sensitivity, and harmony). Significant positive correlations between religious attitudes and tinnitus annoyance were found in subjects with tinnitus. The higher the religiosity, the higher tinnitus the annoyance, at least in the two TFI questionnaire dimensions: sense of control and quality of life (although these correlations were statistically significant only for men). Religiosity was found to be a positive predictor of tinnitus annoyance. Also, ethical sensitivity positively predicted tinnitus annoyance, whereas harmony was a negative predictor. We suggest that psychologists and audiologists should, in their diagnostic and therapeutic work with patients with tinnitus, pay attention to the religious and spiritual aspects of their patients' lives.

PTSD as a Moderator of the Relationship Between the Distribution of Personal Resources and Spiritual Change Among Participants of Hostilities in Ukraine.

The theory of conservation of resources (COR) can be used to search for mechanisms that explain spiritual changes caused by trauma. The present study aimed to verify whether PTSD could be a potential moderator between the distribution of personal resources and spiritual changes. The study included a total of 324 adults (75 women and 243 men) aged 18-74. The mean age was 34.3 (SD = 9.9). The Polish adaptation of Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources-Evaluation (COR-E), the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian Version and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory were employed in the research. This study analyzed the spiritual change, which is one of the five domains of posttraumatic growth. The outcomes indicated the significant role of PTSD as a moderator of the relationships between 1) personal resources gain and spiritual change and 2) personal resources loss and spiritual change. PTSD is not a moderator in the relationship between assigning value to personal resources and spiritual change.

Predictors of mental health in aid workers: meaning, resilience, and psychological flexibility as personal resources for increased well-being and reduced distress.

Aid workers operate in stressful environments and tend to experience high psychological distress, yet not enough is known about their well-being and how to improve their mental health. This research project surveyed 243 aid workers in 77 countries undertaking humanitarian and development work who reported lower well-being and higher psychological distress than the general population. Well-being and distress emerged as two related but distinct mental health outcomes, encouraging further research on well-being in the sector. Better mental health outcomes were predicted by the presence of meaning, psychological flexibility, and resilience. Presence of meaning was the strongest predictor, whereas resilience was the weakest. Meaning was a stronger predictor of good mental health among national workers, whereas psychological flexibility was a stronger predictor among female, older, and international workers. These results can support evidence-based approaches to staff care and mental health interventions for aid workers, expanding the current focus on resilience to include meaning and psychological flexibility.

Work motivation and occupational self-efficacy belief to continue working among ageing home care nurses: a mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: It is important to support ageing home care nurses (HCNs) to remain in work for longer, since the need for home care services is increasing. Personal resources such as self-efficacy belief contribute to work ability, as does work motivation. Few studies have targeted the ageing workers' self-efficacy belief to manage their final working years. This study explores ageing HCNs' work motivation, and occupational self-efficacy, i.e. belief in one's capabilities, to continue working until expected retirement age. METHODS: The design of the study is exploratory using a mixed method with a qualitative to quantitative approach. A total of 234 HCNs answered four open-ended questions from a cross-sectional survey, regarding their work motivation and self-efficacy beliefs. First, data was analysed using manifest qualitative content analysis. Next, a quantitative analysis was performed based on the results of the qualitative study, and the categories that emerged were quantitatively ranked. RESULTS: The open-ended questions yielded 2339 utterances. The findings showed that several categories concurrently affected both work motivation and self-efficacy belief. When they were well-functioning, they positively affected both work motivation and self-efficacy belief, and when they were insufficient, they negatively affected either or both motivation and/or belief. Meaningfulness, job satisfaction, social support, and work environmental and organizational characteristics affected work motivation most. Perceived health highly affected the self-efficacy belief to continue working until expected retirement age, as well as meaningfulness of work, support from colleagues and home care managers, and work characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Through highlighting the meaningfulness of work, and supporting the perceived health, the work community and leadership, both work motivation and self-efficacy belief to continue working might be facilitated among ageing HCNs. However, the still present draining workload must be handled.

The use of religious and personal resources in coping with stress during COVID-19 for Palestinians.

The Palestinian community in Israel has experienced significant stressors historically, yet little research has assessed the strategies these individuals cope with stress. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity to assess coping resources among Palestinian adults. The present study explored the religious and personal resources adopted by Palestinians living in Israel to cope with the stress caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, and whether differences in using these resources were attributed to selective demographic variables. The sample consisted of 985 Palestinian adults, 58% of whom are women and 42% are men. Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 50 years old (M = 35.8, SD =14.48), and they were chosen using convenience sampling from the Palestinian community living in Israel. Participants completed self-report questionnaires to report on their personal resources for coping with stress. Palestinian adults who participated in this study tended to rely more on faith in God, optimism, social and family support, having the self-control and self-efficacy, as well as subjective well-being, as resources for coping caused by crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, there were significant differences on these coping resources that attributed to selective demographic variables. The findings were discussed with relation to previous studies.

Do patients' resilience and subjective illness representation predict the outcome of a routine inpatient treatment program of major depressive disorder?

Adopting a personalized medicine approach beyond genetic/epigenetic profiling within psychiatric diagnostic and treatment is challenging. For the first time, we studied the influence of two patient resources (resilience and illness representation) on the success of an inpatient treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). Using a 5-week observational real-world-study, the treatment- success was measured by the difference between the subjective depression- severity (according to the German short form of Beck's Depression-Inventory) at baseline (i.e., days four to six post-admission) and study- endpoint. In the intention-to-treat sample (n = 60, 47.3 ± 12.8 years old; 58% females), the patients' illness representation [measured by the "Krankheitskonzeptskala" (KK)] did not predict their treatment- success. The KK-dimension 'trust-in-doctors' was associated with resilience but not with the treatment-success. Albeit, the patients' resilience (determined by Resilience- Scale, 11-item-version (RS-11)) negatively predicted their positive treatment- success (b = - 0.09, p = 0.017, f2 = 0.11). This influence of resilience on treatment- success was completely mediated by the baseline-depression- severity. This means, patients with low resilience reported high baseline-depression- levels which predicted a significant positive treatment- success. And, patients with high resilience reported low baseline-depression-levels which predicted no relevant or even negative inpatient treatment-success. The latter "high-resilience"- group (n = 27) was especially interesting. Remarkably, these patients appeared to have experienced within the first four-to-six inpatient treatment-days an "early sudden gain" against their considerable MDD- burden that initially had led to their admission. Thus, a stronger resilience might serve as a proxy of the development of an early MDD-relief as well as of lower baseline-depression- levels. Further studies are warranted to support the value of a patient's resilience to predict his treatment response and inpatient treatment duration.

Psychological needs matter more than social and organizational resources in explaining organizational commitment.

This study investigates the effects of psychological needs satisfaction on teacher's commitment, over and above the impact of social and organizational resources, by building a model based on the Job Demands-Resources theory, Self-Determination Theory, and Conservation of Resources Theory. Hierarchical multiple regressions with data obtained from a sample of 301 Romanian teachers (89% women) reveal that psychological needs satisfaction explains a significant amount of variance in teacher commitment, compared to the variance explained by social resources and organizational resources (affective and normative organizational commitment). These results highlight the role of needs' satisfaction in predicting teachers' commitment and provide valuable information for practitioners aiming to design interventions to increase teachers' commitment.

How to foster nurses' well-being and performance in the face of work pressure? The role of mindfulness as personal resource.

AIM: The aim of this study was to study the simultaneous relationships of work pressure with the performance and well-being of nurses and to explore whether mindfulness moderates these relationships. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design. METHOD: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,021 nurses from 103 Belgian care homes for older people, in 2017. Data were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression and simple slope analyses. RESULTS: Work pressure was positively associated with empathetic care, job performance and emotional exhaustion and negatively associated with work engagement. Mindfulness was positively related to empathetic care, job performance and work engagement and negatively related to emotional exhaustion. Regarding the moderations, mindfulness moderated the relationships between work pressure and both performance outcomes, as well as between work pressure and work engagement. Contrary to what we expected: (a) mindfulness showed no significant buffering effect of work pressure on emotional exhaustion; (b) the relationship between work pressure and both empathic care and job performance was stronger when mindfulness was low (vs. high); and (c) mindfulness strengthened instead of weakened the negative relationship between work pressure and work engagement. However, in high work pressure settings, more mindful individuals still had better job performance and work engagement outcomes than less mindful individuals. CONCLUSION: Our findings explain conflicting outcomes on the effects of work pressure by suggesting that work pressure can function both as a hindrance and a challenge job demand depending on the outcome. Furthermore, by exploring the role of mindfulness as a personal resource, we add to the literature on the role of personal resources in the job demands-resources (JD-R)-model which is particularly relevant in the context of increasing work pressure. IMPACT: Nurses are confronted with increasing work pressure. The present findings indicate that the implementation of mindfulness strategies can be beneficial for nurses dealing with work pressure, contributing to nursing practice and JD-R theory.

Personal resources and personal demands for work engagement: Evidence from employees in the service industry.

Conventional studies have widely demonstrated that individuals' engagement at work depends on their personal resources, which are affected by environmental influences, especially those derived from the workplace and home domains. In this study, we examine whether a change in work engagement may be based on individuals' decisions in managing their personal resources. We use the conservation of resources (COR) theory to explain how personal resources and personal demands at home can influence work engagement through personal resources and personal demands at work. We conducted a daily diary study involving a group of 97 Chinese employees (N = 97) from a range of different service settings for 2 consecutive weeks (N = 1358) and evaluated their daily work engagement using manager ratings. The findings support the hypothesized mediating effects of personal resources and personal demands at work on personal resources and personal demands at home and work engagement.

[The Influence of Personal Resources on Job Satisfaction Among Professionals in the Inpatient Care of Burdened Children and Adolescents]. / Der Einfluss von personalen Ressourcen auf die Arbeitszufriedenheit bei Fachkräften in der stationären Betreuung von belasteten Kindern und Jugendlichen.

The Influence of Personal Resources on Job Satisfaction Among Professionals in the Inpatient Care of Burdened Children and Adolescents Professionals in the inpatient care of burdened and partially traumatized children and adolescents are confronted with high demands in their everyday work. If these professionals do not have the necessary resources to carry out their work, their job satisfaction can be affected negatively. In the present study, the connections between the personal resources action competence, emotional competence, self-efficacy and self-care and job satisfaction were investigated on a sample of N = 543 professionals working in the (inpatient) care of children and adolescents. The survey was conducted as part of the accompanying research of an online course called "Trauma informed Care". Correlations as well as a multiple regression were calculated for the connections between personal resources and job satisfaction. Moderate to strong correlations were identified between personal resources and job satisfaction. The regression model revealed self-efficacy, followed by self-care, to be the most important predictor of job satisfaction. Less importance could be ascribed to emotional competence as a predictor of job satisfaction. Action competence showed no effects in the model. The results indicate the importance of personal resources for job satisfaction. These should be promoted in a targeted manner to increase job satisfaction and thus counteract the tendency of fluctuation and shortage of professionals in the area of child and youth welfare and thereby ensuring high quality care of the vulnerable population.

The role of psychosocial resources for long-term breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivors: prevalence and associations with health-related quality of life.

PURPOSE: Many long-term cancer survivors still have to adjust to possible adverse consequences of the illness or treatment. Resources can play an important role in this adjustment process, but research on this topic is limited, especially for very long-term survivors. This study explores, which resources are most frequently indicated by different subgroups of cancer survivors, and what role resources play for functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in cancer survivors with and without recurrence. METHODS: The sample of 6030 breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivors (5-16 years post-diagnosis) was recruited in a German multi-regional population-based study. Personal resources were assessed by a 27-item checklist; HRQL was assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). General linear models were used to analyze associations of resources with HRQL. RESULTS: Participants indicated on average 11.4 (SD 5.1) resources as helpful. Family, activities with others, and partnership were indicated most commonly overall, but frequencies varied according to age, sex, and tumor site. Physical activity, health, professional help, calmness, hope, optimism, and hobbies were most important in explaining HRQL variance. Cancer survivors with recurrence and many resources were found to report similar HRQL as survivors without recurrence and only few resources. CONCLUSIONS: The study underlines the importance and situational variability of personal and social resources for cancer survivors' HRQL, even years post-diagnosis. Not only the availability, but also the individual perception and significance of resources should be considered in follow-up cancer care.

Recovery in sensory-enriched break environments: integrating vision, sound and scent into simulated indoor and outdoor environments.

To deal with stress and exhaustion at work, personal resources need to be replenished during breaks. The aim of this laboratory study (n = 122 students) was to test the restorative potential of sensory-enriched break environments (SEBEs) in between-subjects with repeated measures design, focusing on the type of the environment (natural outdoor vs. built indoor environment) and sensory input (no sensory input vs. audiovisual input vs. audiovisual and olfactory input). Analyses showed that SEBEs simulating either a natural or a lounge environment were perceived as more pleasant and restorative (fascination/being away) than a standard break room, which in turn facilitated the recovery of personal resources (mood, fatigue, arousal). Moreover, adding a congruent scent to an audiovisual simulation indirectly facilitated the recovery of personal resources via greater scent pleasantness and higher fascination and being away. The current study shows the opportunities for sensory enrichment to foster restoration in break environments.

Comparison of Personal Resources in Patients Who Differently Estimate the Impact of Multiple Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Discrepancies between physicians' assessment and patients' subjective representations of the disease severity may influence physician-patient communication and management of a chronic illness, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). For these reasons, it is important to recognize factors that distinguish patients who differently estimate the impact of MS. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to verify if the patients who overestimate or underestimate the impact of MS differ in their perception of personal resources from individuals presenting with a realistic appraisal of their physical condition. METHODS: A total of 172 women and 92 men diagnosed with MS completed Multiple Sclerosis Impact Scale, University of Washington Self Efficacy Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Body Esteem Scale, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Treatment Beliefs Scale, Actually Received Support Scale, and Socioeconomic resources scale. Physician's assessment of health status was determined with Expanded Disability Status Scale. RESULTS: Linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the subsets of patients with various patterns of subjective health and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores. Patients overestimating the impact of their disease presented with significantly lower levels of self-esteem, self-efficacy in MS, and body esteem; furthermore, they perceived their condition more threatening than did realists and underestimators. They also assessed anti-MS treatment worse, had less socioeconomic resources, and received less support than underestimators. Additionally, underestimators presented with significantly better perception of their disease, self, and body than did realists. CONCLUSION: Self-assessment of MS-related symptoms is associated with specific perception of personal resources in coping with the disease. These findings may facilitate communication with patients and point to new directions for future research on adaptation to MS.