The moderating role of subjective nearness-to-death in the association between health worries and death anxieties from COVID-19.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether subjective nearness-to-death moderated the association between health worries and death anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak among older adults in Israel. Using an online survey, 277 participants were recruited and completed self-reported questionnaires, which included background characteristics, exposure to COVID-19 risk experiences, self-rated health, subjective nearness-to-death, health worries regarding COVID-19, and death anxiety. Findings revealed that subjective nearness-to-death moderated the association between health worries and death anxiety. The importance and significance of subjective perceptions concerning the distance from death as far, which may serve as a resilient resource, is discussed.

The Moderating Effect of Older Adults' Receptive Arts Engagement on the Association Between Resilience and Anxiety Symptoms During Coronavirus Breakout.

ABSTRACT: In this study, we evaluated whether levels of receptive arts engagement (visiting museums/concerts/the theater/the cinema) during the year preceding the COVID-19 outbreak may have served as a psychological resource for older adults that mitigated the association between resilience levels and COVID-19 anxiety when the pandemic broke out. Data were collected after the enactment of the first emergency regulations (between March 15 and April 1, 2020) via the Qualtrics Survey Software link that was sent out through social media platforms. In total, 205 participants aged 65 to 92 (mean age, 72.32; SD, 5.63) reported general anxiety symptom levels (GAD-7) (Spitzer et al., 2006), resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), frequency of receptive arts engagement in the previous year, health status, exposure to risk situations, and behavioral changes due to the pandemic. Our hypothesis that receptive arts would moderate the resilience-COVID-19 anxiety link was examined by a multiple hierarchical regression analysis and with the PROCESS computational tool. Findings show that resilience was associated with COVID-19 anxiety and that this association was moderated by levels of receptive arts engagement. The findings show that high levels of prior art engagement constituted a potent buffer against subsequent COVID-19 anxiety. Policy makers may benefit older adults by encouraging their engagement in arts activities, even during social distancing.

Death anxiety and psychological distress post-donation in non-directed living kidney donors.

The current study sought to assess death anxiety and psychological distress among kidney donors, in comparison to a control population. Seventy-eight non-directed living kidney donors were recruited through the Israeli voluntary kidney donation association. This sample was compared to 396 participants from a control population. The results revealed that non-directed living kidney donors had higher levels of death anxiety in comparison to the control population while their psychological distress was lower in comparison to the control population. The results of this study highlight the importance of relating to non-directed living kidney donors' death anxiety.

Evoked Death-Related Thoughts in the Aftermath of Terror Attack: The Associations Between Mortality Salience Effect and Adjustment Disorder.

ICD-11 has provided a revised definition for adjustment disorder (AjD). The current study examined whether mortality salience effect, a possible consequence of a terror attack, may serve as a significant predictor associated with each of the AjD subscales. Using an online survey, 379 adult participants were recruited and filled out self-reported questionnaires dealing with adjustment disorder symptoms as well as mortality salience effect. Findings revealed that mortality salience effect was a significant predictor of all AjD subscales. The importance of mortality salience effect for AjD is discussed in light of terror management theory.

Social Workers' Perceptions of the Association Between Role Playing Games and Psychopathology.

Whereas role-playing and table-top role-play games (RPGs) have been proven to have potential as therapeutic tools, playing RPGs is often stereotypically associated with social incompetence and psychiatric disorders. Knowledge regarding the stereotype and its implications is very scarce specifically among mental health practitioners. Therefore the present study aimed to narrow this gap in knowledge by examining the perception of Social Workers that are considered to be the forefront of mental health-care, in regard to the association between playing RPGs and mental health. A convenience sample of 130 Social Workers, recruited through social networks (e.g. Facebook, WhatsApp etc.), responded to an on-line survey dealing with their perception of their own knowledge on RPGs, the importance of such knowledge and the association between playing RPGs and mental illness. Results indicated an association between having higher knowledge of RPGs and lower perception of a link between playing RPGs and psychopathology. The study's findings emphasize the false stigma and its potential harmful implication on professionals' practice, especially in the context of intake process and primary diagnostic. The effect of familiarity is also discussed in light of the study's findings. HIGHLIGHTS: • The perception of mental health professionals toward role playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons is understudied. • Social Workers' perception was measured in regard to the connection between use of RPGs and DSM-IV-TR psychopathology. • Greater knowledge of RPGs was found to be associated with lower perception of the connection between use of RPGs and DSM-IV-TR psychopathology.

Reclaiming hope: Subjective nearness to death as a moderator between posttraumatic stress symptoms and hope among older adults.

Perceiving one's remaining time until death, can serve as a source of resilience when faced with adversity in the second half of life. The current work is based on a prospective study and examines whether subjective nearness-to-death (SNtD) moderates the association between posttraumatic-stress symptoms (PTSS) and hope among adults in the second half of life. The first wave was conducted after the end of a military conflict in the south of Israel, and included 170 participants (M = 66.61, SD = 9.16; age range 51-91), 115 of whom also participated in Wave 2. Participants filled out self-reported questionnaires regarding background information, PTSS, SNtD and hope. A moderation effect was found, revealing that high levels of PTSS predicted lower levels of hope among those who felt close to their death, but not among those who felt far from their death. We suggest that one's evaluation of little time remaining to live, especially in old age, may be a significant factor exacerbating the negative consequences of PTSS on hope. The importance of the results to the research field is discussed.

"Post-lockdown Depression": Adaptation Difficulties, Depressive Symptoms, and the Role of Positive Solitude When Returning to Routine After the Lifting of Nation-Wide COVID-19 Social Restrictions.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to identify difficulties in adapting to normal life once COVID-19 lockdown has been lifted. Israel was used as a case study, as COVID-19 social restrictions, including a nation-wide lockdown, were lifted almost completely by mid-April 2021, following a large-scale vaccination operation. Methods: A sample of 293 mid-age and older Israeli adults (M age = 61.6 ± 12.8, range 40-85 years old) reported on return-to-routine adaptation difficulties (on a novel index), depression, positive solitude, and several demographic factors. Results: Of the participants, 40.4% met the criteria of (at least) mild depressive symptoms. Higher levels of adaptation difficulties were related to higher ratios of clinical depressive symptoms. This link was moderated by positive solitude. Namely, the association between return-to-routine adaptation difficulties and depression was mainly indicated for individuals with low positive solitude. Conclusions: The current findings are of special interest to public welfare, as adaptation difficulties were associated with higher chance for clinical depressive symptoms, while positive solitude was found to be as an efficient moderator during this period. The large proportion of depressive symptoms that persist despite lifting of social restrictions should be taken into consideration by policy makers when designing return-to-routine plans.

Subjective accelerated aging moderates the association between COVID-19 health worries and peritraumatic distress among older adults.

BACKGROUND: The present study examined whether subjective accelerated aging moderated the relationship between COVID-19 health worries and COVID-19 peritraumatic distress among older adults. METHOD: The sample consisted of 277 older adults (M = 69.58, s.d. = 6.73, range 60-92) who answered an online questionnaire during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Israel. Participants completed the measures of background characteristics, exposure to COVID-19, COVID-19 health worries, subjective accelerated aging and COVID-19-based peritraumatic distress. RESULTS: Higher levels of COVID-19 health worries were correlated with higher levels of peritraumatic distress symptoms among older adults. Moreover, those reporting accelerated aging also reported a higher level of peritraumatic distress. Finally, the interaction between COVID-19 health worries and subjective accelerated aging predicted peritraumatic distress, suggesting that COVID-19 worries were associated with peritraumatic distress to a stronger degree among older adults who felt they were aging faster. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that negative views of aging may serve as an amplifying factor for traumatic distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although preliminary, the findings provide insight for potential screening and interventions of older adults at risk of developing peritraumatic distress symptoms during the global pandemic.

"Spidey Can": Preliminary Evidence Showing Arachnophobia Symptom Reduction Due to Superhero Movie Exposure.

Fear of insects, mainly spiders, is considered one of the most common insect phobias. However, to date, no conducted studies have examined the effects of phobic stimulus exposure (spiders/ants) within the positive context of superhero movies, such as Spider-Man or Ant-Man. A convenience sample of 424 participants divided into four groups watched different clips. Two intervention groups (Spider-Man/Ant-Man) and two control groups (Marvel opening/natural scene) were measured twice (pre-post intervention). The measures comprised an online survey assessing socio-demographic variables, familiarity with superhero movies and comics, and phobic symptoms. Reduction in phobic symptoms was significant in the Spider-Man and Ant-Man groups in comparison to the control groups. Seven-second exposure to insect-specific stimuli within a positive context reduces the level of phobic symptoms. Incorporating exposure to short scenes from superhero movies within a therapeutic protocol for such phobias may have the potential to be robustly efficacious and enhance cooperation and motivation.

Revalidation of Adjustment Disorder-New Module-4 screening of adjustment disorder in a non-clinical sample: Psychometric reevaluation and correlates with other ICD-11 mental disorders.

In line with the new conceptualization of adjustment disorder (AjD) in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), a new 20-item self-report questionnaire was developed and validated - the Adjustment Disorder-New Module (ADNM). However, such a long research tool has the potential to become problematic for use in epidemiological and clinical settings. Therefore, an ultra-brief measure for AjD (ADNM-4) was established and validated in a recent study conducted with a representative national sample. The aim of the present study was to revalidate the ultra-brief ADNM-4 Scale, as well as to reestablish cutoff scores for clinical use. An online survey was conducted with a convenience sample of 484 Israelis aged 18-65 years, who were recruited via social media. Participants filled out self-report questionnaires dealing with diagnostic criteria of stress-related disorders, that is, AjD (the original and ultra-brief modules), prolonged grief disorder, depression, anxiety, and hypochondriasis. Construct, discriminant, and convergent validity were assessed via confirmatory factor analysis and correlation coefficients, while cutoff scores were established through receiver-operating characteristic analysis. The findings confirmed the ultra-brief module's validity. The high fit indices indicated construct validity, and the correlations with the various stress-related disorders indicated good convergent and discriminant validity. Cutoff scores resembled earlier cutoff scores calculated with a representative national sample, indicating a consistent and accurate diagnostic ability. These findings provide additional evidence for the psychometric characteristics of the ADNM-4, which seems to be a suitable brief screening tool for assessing AjD symptoms according to the ICD-11 definition. Therefore, the ADNM-4 is recommended in cases where prompt screening is required, as well as for research purposes.

Subjective traumatic outlook as a screening tool for psychological trauma: Cut-off values and diagnostic criteria.

The Subjective Traumatic Outlook (STO) deals with changes in individuals' perception, following a traumatic event and the difficulties of integrating pre-trauma past memories, inner traumatic memories, and current daily life. Although this short scale has excellent psychometric properties its cut-off scores for potential clinical use have yet to be established. In addition, due to the discrepancy between the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) in the meaurement of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the present study aimed at revalidating the STO and establishing cut-off scores for potential clinical use, based on both approaches to measure PTSD and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). Three hundred forty-three adults who were recruited through social media apps filled in self-report online questionnaires dealing with subjective perception of psychological trauma, PTSD and CPTSD. Results revalidate the STO as a screening tool for PTSD and CPTSD. We recommend a STO cut-off score of 13 and above when using the ICD-11 PTSD proposed algorithm along the PCL-5 cutoff score and a STO cut-off score of 15 when using the ICD-11 CPTSD proposed algorithm. In light of the present findings, the integration of DSM and ICD approaches is discussed.

Factors associated with post-election psychological distress: The case of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

This study, through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory, examined potential risk factors that may intensify election-related psychological distress. Six weeks after the 2016 U.S. election, 772 U.S. adult citizens filled out an online survey that assessed psychological distress along with sociodemographic characteristics, and a set of variables tapping various dimensions of political self-efficacy (i.e., importance of politics in one's life, preferences for different media outlets, political directness, and voting choices). The findings showed that election-related psychological distress was positively associated with young age, greater reliance on new media, greater importance of politics in one's life, higher political directness, and voting for the candidate who did not win the election. Findings should be valuable for health-care providers informing them about potential risk factors intensifying psychological distress in the context of significant political events.

The spark that might have ignited the fire: The association of cognitive and psychological factors with state anxiety in light of the Syrian-Israeli incident.

The current study aimed to explore Israelis' state anxiety due to a Syrian-Israeli incident that occurred on February 10, 2018, when an Israeli F-16 fighter jet was shot down by Syrian air defense forces. In line with the "looming vulnerability" model which emphasizes the importance of the dynamic nature of psychologically threatening situations, the following psychological factors were suggested: associative memory of prior events, worries of future war, sense of safety, and death anxiety. We employed two cross-sectional points of time in our assessment: 36 hours and three months after the incident. Using an online survey, 162 adult participants were recruited in Study 1 and 172 in Study 2. The participants completed set of questionnaires measuring state anxiety along with other psychological measures. The results of the two studies suggested that higher levels of worry of future war and lower levels of sense of safety associated with higher state anxiety. The looming vulnerability model and variables associated with state anxiety were found to have a salient role in explaining state anxiety as a response to a negative unexpected event.

Truck attack: Fear of ISIS and reminder of truck attacks in Europe as associated with psychological distress and PTSD symptoms.

Following an ISIS attack, the present study examined the association between psychological distress and severe stress symptoms with vulnerability variables: i.e. Physical proximity to the site of the terror attack, Associative memory of prior events, Danger perception and ISIS anxiety. Using an online survey, 397 adult participants were recruited, Seventy-two hours after an ISIS terror attack, and filled out Psychological distress Patient Health Questionnaire 4 and severe stress symptoms questionnaire as well as physical proximity to the site of the terror attack, associative memory of prior events, danger perception and ISIS anxiety scales. Physical proximity to the site of the terror attack and ISIS anxiety were found to be significantly associated of both psychological distress and severe stress symptoms. Regarding danger perception, only danger perception of terror attacks was associated with both psychological distress and with severe stress symptoms. Lastly, whereas being reminded of the 2014 Jerusalem tractor attack (tapping to association via location) was neither associated with psychological distress nor with severe stress symptom, the reminder of the truck attack in Berlin (tapping into association by recency and similarity) was associated with psychological distress but not with severe stress symptoms. The importance of the findings is discussed.

Do previous experience and geographic proximity matter? Possible predictors for diagnosing Adjustment disorder vs. PTSD.

The minority of people who have experienced a traumatic event and were diagnosed as either suffering from PTSD or from Adjustment disorder, may suggest that victims of a traumatic event vary in risk factors for the disorders. The current research aimed at examining the association between reports of Adjustment disorder and PTSD symptoms (In accordance with the proposed revisions of the ICD-11) and several vulnerability variables: previous traumatic event, previous stressful event and physical proximity to the terror attack. Using an online survey, 379 adult participants were recruited, and filled out Adjustment disorder, PTSD symptomatology scales, as well as a previous exposure, magnitude of exposure and death anxiety scales. Findings revealed that previous experience of traumatic events was a significant predictor associated with both PTSD and Adjustment disorder symptoms. Previous experience of stressful events was a significant predictor associated with Adjustment disorder alone. Physical proximity to the site of the attack was a significant predictor associated with PTSD symptoms but not Adjustment disorder symptoms. The importance of previous traumatic events, previous stressful events and physical proximity to the terror attack as factors which are associated with Adjustment disorder and PTSD symptomatology is discussed.