Anger correlated with psychosocial variables in rural youth

Uncontrolled anger is a contributing force in the three leading causes of adolescent death: homicide, suicide, and injuries. Anger may be one of the early warning signs which could lead to violent behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between anger experience and expression with the potential correlates of life events, perceived social support, self-esteem, optimism, drug use, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in rural adolescents. The participants (n = 193) were aged 14 to 17 years old in ninth through eleventh grades enrolled at three rural Western Pennsylvania public high schools. Participants completed nine questionnaires. Negative life events, anxiety, drug use, and depressive symptoms had significant positive correlations with anger. In addition, anger was found to have significant negative correlations with the adolescents' perceived family support, self-esteem, and optimism. With this knowledge, health promotion programs conducted by pediatric nurses can target anxiety, drug use, and depressive symptoms while bolstering family support, self-esteem, and optimism to promote anger management in adolescent health care.     

Moderating effect of psychological resilience on the perceived social support and loneliness in the left-behind elderly in rural areas

Objective: To investigate the loneliness and psychological resilience with the perceived social support of the left-behind elderly in rural areas and explore the moderating effect of psychological resilience on the understanding of social support and loneliness of the left-behind elderly in rural areas.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted; 272 left-behind elderly people in 6 rural villages in the Sichuan Province were investigated by using the General Situation Questionnaire, Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA) with a stratified random cluster sampling method.Results: The loneliness score of the left-behind elderly in rural areas was 52.54 ± 7.25, the psychological resilience score was 78 (68.87), and the perceived social support score was 57 (51.62). The perceived social support and psychological resilience were negatively correlated with loneliness, while the perceived social support was positively correlated with psychological resilience. The moderating effect of psychological resilience on the perceived social support and loneliness of the left-behind elderly in rural areas was ?0.102 (P < 0.001).Conclusions: Higher level resilience is of positive significance to alleviate the negative effect of social support on loneliness. Improving the resilience of the left-behind elderly in rural areas is a beneficial exploration to promote their mental health.     

Screening and predicting adolescent depressive symptoms in rural settings

Adolescent depression with related suicidal behavior is a serious health problem. This article describes depressive symptoms, reported life events, and demographic risk factors in 846 rural adolescents. The results indicate that self-reported depressive symptoms in rural adolescents is significantly (p < .05) related to gender, death in the family, and the perceived positive and negative impact of life events, as well as the specific events of losing a close friend, an increase in number of arguments with parents, trouble with classmates, and trouble with police. The type of school program and trouble with siblings was marginally significant (p < .10). These demographic factors and life events may assist health-care professionals in identifying adolescents at risk for depressive symptoms.     

'My happiness is the refugee camp, my future Palestine': optimism, life satisfaction and perceived happiness in a group of Palestinian children

Scand J Caring Sci; 2012; 26; 467–473 ‘My happiness is the refugee camp, my future Palestine’: optimism, life satisfaction and perceived happiness in a group of Palestinian children Background: This study aimed to explore optimism, perceived happiness and life satisfaction in a group of Palestinian children living in urban districts, rural areas and a refugee camp in the West Bank, as well as in a city in Israel. Method: Three self‐report instruments were administered to a convenience sample of school‐age children (n. 226; 8–12 years old): the Youth Life Orientation Test (YLOT), the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS) and the Face Scale (FS). The scores were analyzed using anova s and correlation tests (Pearson’s r). Gender and age differences were explored. Results: Optimism, life satisfaction and perceived happiness characterize the entire group of Palestinian children in general. Very little difference was found as a function of gender. Conclusion: Palestinian children seem to enjoy a satisfactory quality of life with regard to optimism, satisfaction and perceived happiness. We hypothesize that these factors may reinforce resilience and positive adjustment to trauma in children. The implications for clinical psychology are discussed.     

Optimism and its relationship to depression, coping, anger, and life events in rural adolescents.

Optimism is a stable personality trait that has important implications for behavior, yet little attention has been given to examining optimism in adolescents. This article describes levels of optimism in rural adolescents and the relationship of optimism with depression, coping, anger, and life events. The identification of optimism may be a vulnerability factor when screening adolescent mental health and, as such, has implications for the psychiatric nurse clinician.     

Relationships among trait, situational, and comparative optimism: clarifying concepts for a theoretically consistent and evidence-based intervention to maximize resilience

Research evidence identifies trait optimism as the strongest individual predictor of adolescent resilience when framed within Lazarus's theory of stress and coping. As a precursor to the development of an intervention to maximize resilience, this study clarifies the concept of optimism. Relationships among trait, situational, and comparative optimism were explored. The sample (N = 132) consisted of rural adolescents between 14 and 18 years old who were attending public school. The results demonstrate weak correlations, suggesting that adolescents' perceptions of situations may be amenable to an intervention to maximize resilience but that adolescents also do not expect to experience health or environmental problems. Implications for developing an intervention are discussed.     

肿瘤科护士职业生活品质现状及其影响因素分析

目的：调查分析肿瘤科护士职业生活品质现状及其影响因素。方法：采用一般情况调查表、职业生活品质量表（ProQOL）、Connor 和 Davidson心理弹性量表(CD-RISC) 、杰弗逊共情量表（JSPE）、领悟社会支持量表（PSSS）对398名肿瘤科护士进行问卷调查。结果：肿瘤科护士职业生活品质中同情心满足、二次创伤和工作倦怠得分分别为34.15±7.03,26.37±6.09,25.15±6.04;同情心满足与护士心理弹性、共情能力、社会支持总分和各维度得分均呈正相关（r=0.181~0.680,P<0.01）;同情心疲乏与护士心理弹性、共情能力、社会支持总分和各维度得分均呈负相关（r=-0.202~-0.425,P<0.01）;经多元回归分析,坚韧、自强、乐观、重要他人对同情心满足有影响,共解释51.4%的变异量;职称、坚韧、自强、观点采择、换位思考、重要他人对同情心疲乏有影响,共解释32.7%的变异量。结论：肿瘤科护士职业生活品质水平处于中等水平,关注职称较高的肿瘤科护士的同情心疲乏水平;提高护士心理弹性、共情能力、社会支持可有效提升护士职业生活品质,改善护士的心理健康状况。     

Theoretical perspective: resilience in medically fragile adolescents

Medically fragile adolescents require medical technology and skilled care from parents and nurses in daily life. These adolescents may be ventilator dependent, require intravenous nutrition or medications, depend on nutritional or respiratory support, and depend on nursing care or other medical devices for daily living. Much of the extant research on medically fragile children and adolescents has lacked an overarching theoretical perspective. Findings suggest that peer relationships, family support, technology dependence, school attendance, and self-esteem are concepts of relevance for these adolescents. Thus, a theoretical framework derived from the risk and resilience literature was developed to identify the nature of their interrelationships using theory derivation techniques. The resilience in medically fragile adolescents framework was derived using concepts described by these adolescents. Further study is needed to test this model in medically fragile adolescents with hopes to foster positive outcomes for these adolescents.     

Primary headache in Italian early adolescents: the role of perceived teacher unfairness

Background.— The impact of perceived teacher unfairness on headache incidence has previously been insufficiently investigated. Objective.— The aims of the study are to analyze the prevalence of headache among Italian early adolescents as well as to examine the role of perceived teacher unfairness and classmate social support in predicting this health outcome. Methods.— Data were taken from the “Health Behaviour in School Aged Children,” a cross‐sectional survey investigating health behaviors among early adolescents in selected European countries. Headache, perceived teacher unfairness, and classmate social support were measured through a self‐administered questionnaire filled out by a representative sample of 4386 (48.4% males) Italian students (11, 13, and 15 years old). Covariates included demographic characteristics (age, gender) and socioeconomic status (parental educational attainment), and other confounding psychological factors (eg, family empowerment, bullying). Results.— Prevalence of frequent headaches (at least once a week) was about 40%. Girls were more likely to report frequent headaches compared with boys. Prevalence of frequent headaches increased with age. After adjusting for age and gender, teacher unfairness showed a significant association with frequent headache (P < .001). This relationship remained significant even after additional adjustment for several psychosocial factors. Classmate social support seems to act as a protective factor, but not as a buffering mechanism against the negative effects of teacher unfairness. Conclusions.— Italian early adolescents show a quite high prevalence of frequent headache. Results show that characteristics of the school setting, such as teacher unfairness and classmate social support, can be significant predictors of frequent headache among early adolescents. Longitudinal research is needed to delineate causal relationships between school factors and recurrent headache.     

Parental relationships,coping strategies,received support,and well-being in adolescents of separated or divorced and married parents

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the impact of the perceived quality of the parental relationship and family status on coping strategies, received support, and well-being in adolescents from separated or divorced and married parents. Two hundred forty-four matched adolescents from separated/divorced and married households were drawn from an initial sample of 1,044 students who were tested at five colleges and three high schools of a large metropolitan and rural area. Regression analyses supported the hypothesis that a perceived poor parental relationship, and not family status, was associated with low life satisfaction and sense of future, and high anxiety in adolescents of divorced and married households. Hierarchical regression techniques revealed that coping strategies and received support did not mediate the association between a perceived poor parental relationship and low levels of well-being in adolescents from divorced and married households. The findings underscore the importance of intervening with adolescents within the context of their family relationships. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Perceived health status in urban minority young adolescents

PURPOSE: To describe perceptions of health status among a sample of urban minority adolescents and the contribution of demographics, intrinsic motivation, general self-efficacy, risk taking, and stressful life experiences on the adolescent's perception of health status. METHOD: Correlational design. A total of 71 adolescents were studied using the Adolescent Health Chart for perceived health status, the Health Self-Determinism Index for Children, the Self-Efficacy Scale, the Risk Taking Instrument, and the Life Events Checklist. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant effects of demographics on perceived health status. Scores of Perceived Health Status correlated with scores of self-efficacy (r = 0.56; p <.0001), risk-taking (r = 0.39; p <.001), negative events (r = 0.32; p <.01) and violent events (r = -0.41; p <.001). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study findings suggest that self-efficacy, risk taking, and life events are predictive of perceived health status in urban minority adolescents. The results contribute to the present body of knowledge about patterns of adolescent health as perceived by the adolescent. In addition to expanding the understanding of the minority adolescent experience in relation to health promotion attributes and health compromising behaviors, the results identify antecedents that are predictive of improved perceived health status for the urban adolescent.     

Stress,perceived support,resourcefulness and depressive symptoms in Taiwanese adolescents

Aims and objective. This study investigated (1) the prevalence of self‐reported depressive symptoms among first‐year students at an Institute of Technology in southern Taiwan; (2) whether perceived support and resourcefulness were associated with these adolescents’ depressive symptoms and (3) the moderating and mediating effects of learned resourcefulness on the relationship between stressors and the adolescents’ depressive symptoms. Background. An individual with adequate social support or resourcefulness may see stressors as less threatening or be more resilient in dealing with stressors compared with depressed individuals. The prevalence of depression in the global population increased rapidly during this past decade and consequently may have had a negative impact on population health outcomes. Among adolescents there has recently been an increased incidence of depression‐related suicide reports. Design. A cross‐sectional, correlational design. Method. Adolescents (n = 913) were recruited to complete the following: the SDI in Chinese, the Inventory of Social Supportive Behaviours Scale – Modified and the Self‐Control Schedule. Data analysis consisted of Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results. The prevalence of depression among participants was 13·4%. Participants who were younger, expressed lower satisfaction with their grades, perceived their health as worse, described peer relationship problems and exhibited smoking behaviour were more likely to have depressive symptoms. We observed five partially mediating effects of resourcefulness on stressors (age, perceived health, peer relationships, grades satisfaction and smoking behaviour) and depressive symptoms and one moderating effect of resourcefulness on the relationship between peer and depressive symptoms. Conclusions. Learned resourcefulness may play a critical role in decreasing depressive symptoms. Relevance to clinical practice. These findings offer healthcare providers and educators information about the need for possible cognitive–behavioural interventions that could improve adolescents’ relationships with their peers, enhance their satisfaction of grades and moderate or prevent depressive symptoms among this population. Moreover, it might decrease the prevalence of adolescent suicide.     

The stress process in family caregivers of persons receiving chemotherapy

The purpose of this analysis was to explore strain and depression among family caregivers of persons receiving chemotherapy for cancer using the Pearlin Stress Process Model. Seventy-five family caregivers of persons receiving chemotherapy participated, completing the Caregiver Strain Index and the Depression Subscale of the Profile of Mood States within 3 weeks of the initiation of chemotherapy. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that 44% of the variance in strain and 40% of the variance in depression were explained by the antecedent variables of caregiver age and gender, patient age and gender, patient functional status, the presence of recurrent disease, perceived efficacy of coping strategies, and perceived adequacy of social support. Further analysis aimed at delineating the mechanisms through which coping and social support operate in the model found no evidence for a moderating or stress-buffering effect. However, coping mediated the relationship between strain and depression and social support mediated the relationship between functional status and depression.     

Family stress,perceived social support and coping following the diagnosis of a child's congenital heart disease

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is now estimated to be the second most prevalent chronic illness. A child's chronic illness may have effects that have pervasive consequences for family life. Recently, attention has focused on resiliency variables, especially social support and coping strategy, regulating the impact of stress. In the resiliency model of family stress, adjustment and adaptation, social support is viewed as one of the primary moderators or mediators between stress and well-being. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships of family stress, perceived social support, and coping and determine the resiliency factor associated with coping by families who have a child with chronic illness. DESIGN: In a secondary analysis of a large longitudinal study, the sample consisted of 92 families who had a child under age 12 who was newly diagnosed with CHD within the last 3-4 months. FINDINGS: Results from regression analysis revealed that perceived social support operated as a resiliency factor between family stress and both parental and family coping. Child and family characteristics appeared to be the important predictors of perceived social support and parental coping. Although perceived social support appeared to be an important predictor of parental and family coping, neither the moderating nor mediating model was supported in full but partial causal relations were confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provided evidence for the theoretical and empirical significance of perceived social support as a predictor of family coping. Further, these findings suggest that perceived social support is a factor influencing the resiliency of relatively high-risk groups of families who have a child with chronic illness.     

A cross-cultural comparison of resilience in adolescents

The purpose of this study was to continue the process of clarifying the concept of resilience in adolescence. At the completion of the first phase of this clarification process in 1997, it became evident that adolescents believed resilience hurt them more than helped them and encompassed such dimensions as self-protection and survival. To gain the broadest understanding of the adolescent's perception of resilience, this study qualitatively explored those perceptions from adolescents in varied socioeconomic and cultural environments. Using a focus-group format, we queried 40 adolescents from New England and Ghana about their perceptions of adversity, overcoming adversities, and resilience. The results indicated that irrespective of age, gender, culture, and socioeconomic status, all the adolescents believed that they were resilient; however, overcoming adversities and being resilient were different depending on the presence or absence of consistent, loving, caring, mentoring adults who helped the adolescent traverse the adversities of life. Those adolescents who were without such support systems (found predominately in the New England sample) showed survival and self-protective forms of resilience, whereas those with such support systems (found predominately in the Ghanaian sample) showed a connected form of resilience. Further research is needed; however, adolescents have given clear messages in two studies indicating that being resilient can hurt them as much as it may help them. When fostering resilience, consideration should be given to what kind of resilience is being fostered.     

School-based support groups for adolescents with a substance-abusing parent

BACKGROUND Adolescents with substance-abusing parents need interventions to reduce their risk for a variety of problems. School-based support groups (SBSGs) have been proposed to increase resilience in this population. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate a SBSG for adolescents with substance-abusing parents. STUDY DESIGN The randomized, controlled study was conducted with high-school students (n = 109) to evaluate the impact of SBSGs on resiliency. Resiliency was operationalized as positive physical health, mental health, and risk behaviors in the presence of adverse life events. Data were collected pre- and postintervention. RESULTS Significant improvements in knowledge of substance abuse were noted. Findings suggested gender differences in coping and health outcomes and positive trends in substance use. CONCLUSIONS SBSGs may increase resilience in this at-risk population. However, there were gender differences in response to the intervention, and group facilitators should be aware that participants' gender may influence response to the groups. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc, 2008; 14(4), 297-309. DOI: 10.1177/1078390308321223.     

Predictors of depression in Thai women

This cross-sectional correlational study examined the associations between depression and family history of depression, early loss of mother before age 11, number of stressful life events, women's role strains, interpersonal conflict, parental role strain, perceived stress, social support, and sense of belonging in 142 Thai women (77 depressed and 65 nondepressed). Results from chi-square tests and t tests revealed that compared to nondepressed women, depressed women were more likely to have a family history of depression and history of loss of mother before age 11; significantly higher stressful life events, parental role strain, interpersonal conflict, and perceived stress; and significantly lower interpersonal resources, perceived social support, and sense of belonging. Results from logistic regression, however, showed that only family history of depression, perceived stress, and sense of belonging predicted depression in Thai women. Results from path analysis showed that 66% of the variance of depression was explained by the proposed model. Perceived stress had the strongest direct effect on severity of depression. Family history of depression had both direct and indirect effects on severity of depression. Number of stressful life events, interpersonal conflict, parental role strain, perceived social support, and sense of belonging had indirect but not direct effects on severity of depression. Loss of mother before age 11 and interpersonal resources had neither direct nor indirect effects on severity of depression. Results from this study contributed significant information for understanding depression in Thai women and can help health care providers in Thailand to provide better care for depressed patients and prevent depression in Thai women.     

Perceived social support,resilience and health self-efficacy among migrant older adults: A moderated mediation analysis

Migrant older adults become more disadvantaged in health due to aging and migration-related problems. This study aimed to examine the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between perceived social support and health self-efficacy, and to test whether gender moderated the mediating effect of resilience between perceived social support and health self-efficacy among migrant older adults. A total of 184 migrant older adults were recruited from five communities. Resilience played a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived social support and health self-efficacy. Moreover, age moderated the relationship between resilience and health self-efficacy. The relationship between resilience and health self-efficacy was stronger in male older adults than female ones. These findings provide a better understanding of the effects of perceived social support and resilience on health self-efficacy, which could guide targeted interventions for community health nurses to promote health self-efficacy among migrant older adults.