Health and wellbeing of staff working at higher education institutions globally during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period: evidence from a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing global crisis of Higher Education (HE) institutions during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period has increased the likelihood of enduring psychological stressors for staff. This study aimed to identify factors associated with job insecurity, burnout, psychological distress and coping amongst staff working at HE institutions globally. METHODS: An anonymous cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 with staff at HE institutions across 16 countries. Job insecurity was measured using the Job Insecurity Scale (JIS), burnout using the Perceived Burnout measure question, psychological distress using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), and coping using the Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Multivariable logistic regression with a stepwise variable selection method was used to identify associations. RESULTS: A total of 2,353 staff participated; the mean age (± SD) was 43(± 10) years and 61% were females. Most staff (85%) did not feel job insecurity, one-third (29%) perceived burnout in their jobs, more than two-thirds (73%) experienced moderate to very high levels of psychological distress, and more than half (58%) exhibited medium to high resilient coping. Perceived job insecurity was associated with staff working part-time [Adjusted Odds Ratio 1.53 (95% Confidence Intervals 1.15-2.02)], having an academic appointment [2.45 (1.78-3.27)], having multiple co-morbidities [1.86 (1.41-2.48)], perceived burnout [1.99 (1.54-2.56)] and moderate to very high level of psychological distress [1.68 (1.18-2.39)]. Perceived burnout was associated with being female [1.35 (1.12-1.63)], having multiple co-morbidities [1.53 (1.20-1.97)], perceived job insecurity [1.99 (1.55-2.57)], and moderate to very high levels of psychological distress [3.23 (2.42-4.30)]. Staff with multiple co-morbidities [1.46 (1.11-1.92)], mental health issues [2.73 (1.79-4.15)], perceived job insecurity [1.61 (1.13-2.30)], and perceived burnout [3.22 (2.41-4.31)] were associated with moderate to very high levels of psychological distress. Staff who perceived their mental health as good to excellent [3.36 (2.69-4.19)] were more likely to have medium to high resilient coping. CONCLUSIONS: Factors identified in this study should be considered in reviewing and updating current support strategies for staff at HE institutions across all countries to reduce stress and burnout and improve wellbeing.

Social support and high resilient coping in carers of people with dementia.

High resilience is associated with improved carer outcomes. Both individual factors and the availability of social support have been linked with resilience. This study was conducted to compare socio-demographic characteristics and the availability of social support for carers with low and high resilient coping, and identify if any domain of social support predicted high resilient coping in informal carers of people with dementia. The participants in this cross sectional survey included 108 informal carers of people with dementia. Findings showed the availability of emotional/informational support was most likely to predict resilient coping and tangible support the least likely. However, when controlling for all covariates, only gender predicted high resilient coping, individual social support domains were no longer significant. Therefore, as no single domain of social support has a significantly greater influence on resilient coping, service providers should enable carers to build a wide, multi-function support network.

The Importance of Parents' Community Connections for Adolescent Well-being: An Examination of Military Families.

Drawing from the Social Organization Theory of Action and Change (SOAC), this analysis of 223 military families, including active duty (AD) military and civilian partners, examines how parents' sense of community and community engagement (two elements of community connections) are associated with their own resilient coping, and ultimately with important outcomes capturing their adolescent offspring's individual well-being (depression, anxiety, and self-efficacy) and family well-being (family functioning and parenting quality). The roles of child gender and military context were also examined. Parents with stronger community connections, including greater sense of community and community engagement, reported more resilient coping when faced with adversity. The resilient coping of mothers, in turn, was particularly significant for more positive youth outcomes, when compared to that of fathers. While gender and military context were associated with individual and family well-being, analyses of model invariance indicated that the model fit similarly for male and female adolescents and those experiencing high and low levels of military transitions. Indirect effects were also examined. These findings illuminate malleable dimensions of both community life and family life, primarily showing that community contexts matter for multiple family members.

Measurement properties of the brief resilient coping scale in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus using rasch analysis.

BACGROUND: Resilience has been defined as the capacity or the ability to rebound from and positively adapt to significant stressors, despite experiences of significant adversity or trauma. To capture to what extent an individual copes with stress in a resilient fashion the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) was developed. This tool was validated in people with chronic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis using standard psychometric techniques of classical test theory, but not yet in patients with Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale in patients with SLE using Rasch analysis. METHOD: This study used cross-sectional data. The BRCS was administered to 232 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. The aspects analyzed were unidimensionality, local independence and differential item functioning (DIF) to construct an interpretative scale of scores with the Rasch model. RESULTS: Rating scale mode (RSM) showed that the four categories used in the items of the BRCS are properly ordered. The four items provided a good fit to the polytomous Rasch model. Moreover, the parameters were sufficiently separated to measure resilience in patients with SLE. BRCS is a unidimensional scale (eigenvalue = 1.843) of resilience and the items were locally independent. There was no DIF between males and females in the sample. Only marginally significant differences depending on the level of education were found. The BRCS showed adequate discriminant validity between groups of scores. CONCLUSIONS: BRCS is a suitable scale for measuring resilience in patients with SLE. This scale might be useful for clinicians to obtain information concerning the degree of resilience that each patient has, allowing individuals with low resilience to be identified who need interventions aimed at developing coping skills.

Mental health index of the elderly population in Medellín (Colombia)-2021: a factorial analysis.

Introduction: There are several risk factors associated with developing mental disorders among people over 60 years of age. Mental health encompasses multiple domains or capacities, which can comprise the psychological wellbeing of older people. Therefore, resilient coping, self-compassion, self-esteem, hopelessness, quality of life, and depression are considered the characteristics and adaptive mechanisms that bring together the main risk and protective factors for imbalance in mental wellbeing. Objective: This study aimed to establish the demographic, social, and family factors, as well as the clinical characteristics and lifestyle habits that influence the mental health of the elderly people in the city of Medellín, in the year 2021, to build a mental health index. Methodology: This study adopts a quantitative approach, employs retrospective temporality, and utilizes secondary sources. A cross-sectional survey was carried out with the SABAM Project (health and mental wellbeing of older adults from five cities in Colombia in 2021 by its Spanish acronym) database (secondary source), which is part of the research group "Public Health Observatory" of CES University (Medellín, Colombia). The database comprised 500 records of people aged over 60 years from the city of Medellín in 2021. While constructing the index, a principal component analysis was used, along with the Varimax method for factor analysis rotation. Results: The median age of the general population was 67 years (IQR 63-72); for men, the median age was 66 years (IQR 63-71) and for women, the median age was 67 years (IQR 63-72). An association was found between low socioeconomic levels, alcohol consumption, and the level of higher education (university-postgraduate) with low levels of the Mental Health Index in people over 60 years of age in Medellín during the year 2021. Conclusion: A quantitative model was developed to predict either a positive or negative prognosis in the mental wellbeing of the population over 60 years of age in the city of Medellín. The model was also used for the development of a sociodemographic profile highlighting the impact on mental health among people over 60 years of age with limited economic resources.

Associations between sexual identity stigma and positive sexual identity, and depression among men who have sex with men in China: A mediation analysis using structural equation modelling.

PURPOSE: High levels of depression are common among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China, and there is limited research on the relationship between MSM stigma and depression. Guided by the psychological mediation framework, to explore the relationship between stigma and depression among MSM and how positive sexual identity plays a role in it, we tested this model whether: 1) enacted MSM stigma, perceived MSM stigma, and positive sexual identity are associated with depression; 2) their effects on depression are mediated through resilient coping and social support; and 3) perceived MSM stigma is a mediator of the effects of enacted MSM stigma and positive sexual identity on depression. METHODS: We conducted mediation analyses using structural equation modeling (SEM) on data from a cross-sectional survey conducted among 1014 MSM recruited using a non-probability sampling method in December 2022. The data passed general analyses such as normality and correlation, which allowed for modeling. The final SEM fit metrics indicated that the model was acceptable. RESULTS: Structural equation modeling results showed that enacted stigma directly and positively affected depressive symptoms (ß = 0.558, 95 % confidence interval = 0.457 ～ 0.644, P < 0.001). Perceived stigma had a positive effect on depressive symptoms (ß = 0.114, 95 %CI = 0.036 ～ 0.200, P = 0.002). Positive identity had a positive effect on depressive symptoms (ß = 0.086, 95 %CI = 0.016 ～ 0.162, P = 0.013). In addition, the results of mediation effect analysis showed that the indirect effect of enacted stigma on the effect of depression through social support was (ß = 0.040, 95 %CI = 0.003 ∼ 0.017, P = 0.049); The indirect effect of perceived stigma on the effect of depression through resilient coping was (ß = -0.015, 95 %CI = -0.034 ∼ -0.002, P = 0.056); The indirect effects of positive sexual identity on the effect of depression through resilient coping and social support were (ß = -0.025, 95 %CI = -0.056 ∼ -0.002, P = 0.052) and (ß = -0.056, 95 %CI = -0.101 ∼ -0.023, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: Resilient coping and social support mediated the relationship between stigma and depression, and both were influenced by positive identity. This study reveals that enhancing coping and social support may reduce the impact of stigma on depressive symptoms, both of which are potential targets for interventions for MSM. Guiding MSM to develop a positive sexual identity is conducive to reducing the prevalence of depressive symptoms among MSM.

Postpandemic fear of COVID-19, psychological distress, and resilient coping among frontline health workers in Ghana: An analytical cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted the psychological well-being of healthcare workers globally. However, little is known about the mental health state of frontline health workers in the postpandemic era. The purpose of this study was to examine postpandemic COVID-19-related psychological distress and fear among frontline health workers in Ghana. Methods: Data were collected from 245 frontline healthcare workers in the Western region of Ghana. COVID-19-related fear, psychological distress, and resilient coping were assessed with the fear of COVID-19 scale, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and the Brief Resilient Coping Scale, respectively. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the association between psychological distress and fear of COVID-19 as well as the moderating effects of resilient coping. Results: Participants were mostly female (57.1%), aged between 21 and 30 years (50.6%), and not married (58.0%). We found that 52.2% of frontline healthcare workers experienced mild-to-severe fear, while 40% experienced psychological distress. Fear of COVID-19, previous contact with COVID-19 patients, and earning a monthly income between 501 and 1000 Ghanaian cedis were significantly associated with higher psychological distress. The positive association between fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress was stronger among frontline health workers who had higher resilient coping. Conclusion: There is the need to provide frontline health workers with mental health support services to promote their psychological well-being and enhance their ability to provide quality care during the postpandemic era.

Existential isolation and psychological distress during COVID-19: The role of loneliness and resilient coping in Canadian help-seeking men.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on men's lives. Investigating specific constructs and pathways related to men's mental health outcomes may help to more fully understand the short and long-term impact of the pandemic and illuminate opportunities to better promote men's mental health. In this study, we assessed the mediating effect of loneliness on the relationship between existential isolation and psychological distress, and the moderating effect of resilient coping on that relationship. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included a sample of help-seeking Canadian men in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 434). Participants completed measures of existential isolation, loneliness, resilient coping, and psychological distress. A moderated mediation analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Over half (54 %) of the participants reported psychological distress in a clinical range. Findings indicated that loneliness was a significant mediator in the association between existential isolation and psychological distress. Furthermore, findings revealed that resilient coping moderated the relationship between loneliness and psychological distress, such that men who were low on resilient coping experienced the greatest effect on psychological distress. LIMITATIONS: The employed mediation analyses were cross-sectional in nature, limiting any firm conclusions regarding causality. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to reduce psychological distress may be targeted at decreasing men's experiences of existential isolation or improving resilient coping. Consideration should be given to contextual factors related to COVID-19 as well as men's preferences for help-seeking and mental health support.

Social support buffers young men's resilient coping to psychological distress.

AIM: Social support and resilient coping can aid mental health. The aim of this study was to examine age effects of social support on men's resilient coping for psychological distress. METHODS: The sample consisted of 434 help-seeking Canadian men who completed standardized measures. Regression analyses tested a moderated moderation model, controlling for COVID-19 pandemic impact. RESULTS: Greater resilient coping was associated with lower psychological distress and this relationship was moderated by social support. Higher levels of social support had a significant positive effect on men's resilient coping for psychological distress. Findings indicated that younger men (18-24 years) were most positively buffered by social support. CONCLUSIONS: Social support appears to be particularly important for young men's coping response to psychological distress. This is an important finding in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where social support networks have been challenged. Community-based and clinical programs and initiatives that proactively target young men's development of social connections and robust supportive networks, while bolstering their individual resilient coping skills, are likely to provide protections from psychological distress.

Resilient Coping is More Important Than Previous Virtual Learning Experience: Predicting Pharmacy Student Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic precipitated a swift transition to online learning in medical and health sciences. This study investigated the associations of previous experience with online learning, current confidence with online learning, and resilient coping skills with perceived stress reported by pharmacy students during the emergency transition to online learning. Methods: Undergraduate pharmacy students (N=113, response rate = 41%) completed an online, self-report, cross-sectional survey during April-June 2020. Measures included Likert items measuring prior experience and current comfort levels with online learning, the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS), and the Perceived Stress Scale 10-Item Version (PSS-10). Experience, comfort with online learning, reported scores, and internal consistency for the BRCS and PSS-10 were summarized. A linear regression model examined the associations of prior experience with online education, gender, and resilient coping with perceived stress. Results: Of the 113 respondents (78% female, mean age 22.3 years), > 50% had only occasional prior experience with online learning, coursework, and examinations, but 63% expressed confidence with online learning. Mean PSS-10 and BRCS scores were 23.8 and 13.3, respectively, and both scales demonstrated good internal consistency (α > 0.80). BRCS score was the single predictor of the PSS-10 score (r2 = 0.18, p < 0.001). Female gender was not a significant predictor (p = 0.11). A multiple regression model explained moderate variation in perceived stress (adjusted R2 = 0.19). Conclusion: PSS-10 and BRCS scores indicated moderate levels of stress and coping skills among students during online teaching. Most students had some prior exposure to online learning, coursework, and examinations. Higher resiliency scores, but not prior online learning experience, predicted lower perceived stress.

Time to Lift up COVID-19 Restrictions? Public Support towards Living with the Virus Policy and Associated Factors among Hong Kong General Public.

The fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented toll on Hong Kong. As more countries are starting to lift COVID-19 restrictions, it would be important to understand the public attitudes towards lifting COVID-19 restrictions and to identify its associated factors. The present study examined the level of support towards the living with the virus (LWV) policy for COVID-19 among the public in Hong Kong and to identify the associations between resilient coping, self-efficacy and emotional distress with support towards the LWV policy. A random population-based telephone survey was conducted among 500 Hong Kong Chinese adults from 7 March to 19 April 2022, i.e., during the fifth wave of COVID-19 outbreak. Of the respondents, 39.6% showed a supportive attitude towards the LWV policy. Results from the structural equational modeling showed a positive correlation between resilient coping and self-efficacy. Resilient coping was associated with support towards the LWV policy directly and indirectly through a lower level of emotional distress. Self-efficacy had a direct association with support towards the LWV policy but its indirect association through emotional distress was not significant. Interventions that foster resilient coping and self-efficacy would be effective in reducing public emotional distress and promoting their positive view towards the LWV policy.

The Influence of Research Follow-Up during COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Distress and Resilience: A Multicenter Cohort Study of Treatment-Resistant Depression.

Background: During the COVID-19 outbreak, patients with mental disorders have faced more negative psychological consequences than the public. For people with treatment-resistant depression (TRD), it is unclear whether research engagement would protect them from the deterioration of their symptoms. The study aimed to examine if chronic depressive patients would have improved resilience and mental distress levels after follow-up interviews during an observation period under COVID-19. Methods: The study was nested within a three-year prospective cohort study. A two-group comparison design was conducted, i.e., the follow-up group with regular research interviews every three months after baseline assessment and the control group with one assessment-only interview. The two groups were compared with demographics, psychosocial, and suicide information. Results: Baseline assessments were not significantly different in sociodemographic variables, suicide risks, mental distress, and resilience between groups. Significant differences were detected in resilient coping and mental distress levels (p < 0.05). The follow-up group (n = 46) experienced a higher level of resilient coping (37% vs. 25%) and lower level of mental distress (47.8% vs. 64.7%) than the control group (n = 68). Conclusions: Findings highlight under universal government strategy against COVID-19, TRD patients receiving regular research follow-ups exhibited better resilience and less mental distress than those without regular support from healthcare providers.

How Psychological Variables Maybe Correlated with Willingness to Get COVID-19 Vaccine: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study of Polish Novice Nurses.

INTRODUCTION: Nurses became the largest medical group exposed to direct contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In this study, we aimed to assess the readiness and motivation for vaccination, as well as the use of sources of information and attitudes toward vaccination depending on the psychological profile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted. The study included 145 novice nurses from 8 medical universities who completed 3-year undergraduate studies. Women constituted 97.2% of the respondents (N = 141). The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Brief Resilient Coping Scale, and an original questionnaire were used. Variables were analyzed with descriptive statistics methods. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among the participants, 73.1% had already been vaccinated against COVID-19 (N = 106). The participants were divided into two groups: G1 (N = 98), characterized by a lower level of anxiety with higher self-efficacy and resilient coping, and G2 (N = 47), with a higher level of anxiety with poorer self-efficacy and resilient coping. The analysis of the potential correlation of psychological pattern with the decision to vaccinate was not statistically significant (p = 0.166). CONCLUSION: Psychological variables may be correlating with motivation, attitudes toward vaccination, and the choice of reliable sources of information about vaccination. Our study demonstrates the key role of two psychological variables, self-efficacy and resilient coping, in this context.

An Italian Adaptation of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) and Attitudes During the Covid-19 Outbreak.

Resilience has attracted the interest of the scientific community during the Covid-19 outbreak, as a protective factor in mental health. As the migrant population arguably has one of the most vulnerable profiles in the current health crisis, the aim of this study is to assess the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) across native and migrant residents in Italy, and to compare scores across these two populations. Other personal attitudes to the current restrictions were considered. Preliminary psychometrics were tested in a version of the translated instrument with an independent sample. A second independent sample was used to analyse the differences between migrant and native adults. The results showed no differences between the new version and the previous Spanish adaptation or the original instrument. Moreover, no differences were found between the migrant and non-migrant group. BRCS scores were predicted by attitudes toward Covid-19 but not by migrant or native group. These results suggest that the BRCS may be a useful tool to measure resilience in Italy at time of pandemic, irrespective of cultural differences.

Mental Health among Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Multi-Country Comparison.

Despite the global impact of COVID-19, studies comparing the effects of COVID-19 on population mental health across countries are sparse. This study aimed to compare anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdown among adults from 11 countries and to examine their associations with country-level COVID-19 factors and personal COVID-19 exposure. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults (≥18 years) in 11 countries (Brazil, Bulgaria, China, India, Ireland, North Macedonia, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, Turkey, United States). Mental health (anxiety, depression, resilient coping, hope) and other study data were collected between June-August 2020. Of the 13,263 participants, 62.8% were female and 51.7% were 18-34 years old. Participants living in Brazil had the highest anxiety and depression symptoms while participants living in Singapore had the lowest. Greater personal COVID-19 exposure was associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms, but country-level COVID-19 factors were not. Higher levels of hope were associated with reduced anxiety and depression; higher levels of resilient coping were associated with reduced anxiety but not depression. Substantial variations exist in anxiety and depression symptoms across countries during the COVID-19 lockdown, with personal COVID-19 exposure being a significant risk factor. Strategies that mitigate COVID-19 exposure and enhance hope and resilience may reduce anxiety and depression during global emergencies.

Psychometric Properties of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale in a Sample of Stable Severe Mental Disorder Patients.

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS). 57 stable severe mental disorder patients (42 men, 73.7%, and 15 women, 26.3%), ranging in age between 23 and 64 years, (M = 46.25; SD = 7.52) answered to the BRCS and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL-BREF). Descriptive analyses, estimations of internal consistency, and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted, and correlations between the BRCS and the WHOQOL-BREF were calculated. The factorial validity of the scale was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, with a single dimension of resilience. The BRCS showed acceptable internal consistency (alpha of .69). Correlations between the BRCS and WHOQOL-BREF were positive, r(PhH-R) = .42, r(PsH-R) = .40, r(SR-R) = .33, r(E-R) = .35, and significant (p < .01). In conclusion, the Spanish adaptation of the BRCS seems to be a reliable and valid measure of resilience in stable severe mental disorder patients.