Stress Management and Resiliency Training for public school teachers and staff: A novel intervention to enhance resilience and positively impact student interactions

BackgroundBurnout in teachers has been linked to decreased effectiveness as educators, and suboptimal interactions with students. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the outcomes of a brief Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) program for public school staff.Materials and methodsThis single-arm, prospective trial involved an investigation of the effects of a brief SMART program on participant stress, anxiety, resilience, gratitude, happiness, life satisfaction, and quality of life (QOL).ResultsSignificant improvements were noted in participant anxiety (P < 0.001), stress (P = 0.003), gratitude (P = 0.001), happiness (P < 0.001), life satisfaction (P < 0.001), and QOL (P < 0.001). Most participants reported that the skills learned positively affected interactions with students (77.2%) and coworkers (72.2%).ConclusionsThe SMART program showed promising effectiveness for improving anxiety, stress, gratitude, happiness, life satisfaction and QOL. Given the prevalence and impact of teacher burnout, larger, controlled trials and broader dissemination of the intervention are warranted.     

Does self-compassion mitigate the relationship between burnout and barriers to compassion? A cross-sectional quantitative study of 799 nurses

BackgroundBurnout has numerous negative consequences for nurses, potentially impairing their ability to deliver compassionate patient care. However, the association between burnout and compassion and, more specifically, barriers to compassion in medicine is unclear. This article evaluates the associations between burnout and barriers to compassion and examines whether dispositional self-compassion might mitigate this association.HypothesisConsistent with prior work, the authors expected greater burnout to predict greater barriers to compassion. We also expected self-compassion – the ability to be kind to the self during times of distress – to weaken the association between burnout and barriers to compassion among nurses.MethodsRegistered nurses working in New Zealand medical contexts were recruited using non-random convenience sampling. Following consent, 799 valid participants completed a cross-sectional survey including the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the Barriers to Physician Compassion scale, and a measure of dispositional self-compassion.ResultsAs expected, greater burnout predicted greater barriers to compassion while self-compassion predicted fewer barriers. However, self-compassion mitigated the association between burnout and burnout related barriers to compassion (but not other barriers). The interaction suggested that suggested that the association was stronger (rather than weaker) among those with greater self-compassion.DiscussionUnderstanding the lack of compassion and the effects of burnout in patient care are priorities in health. This report extends evidence on the association between burnout and compassion-fatigue to show that burnout also predicts the experience of specific barriers to compassion. While self-compassion predicted lower burnout and barriers, it may not necessarily reduce the extent to which burnout contributes to the experience of barriers to compassion in medicine. Implications for understanding how burnout manifests in barriers to clinical compassion, interventions and professional training, and future directions in nursing are discussed.     

A meaningful life is worth living: Meaning in life as a suicide resiliency factor

Given the high rate of suicide worldwide, it is imperative to find factors that can confer resiliency to suicide. The goal of the present study was to examine the search for and the presence of meaning in life as possible resilience factors. We hypothesized that the presence of, but not the search for, meaning in life would predict decreased suicidal ideation over an eight-week time period and decreased lifetime odds of a suicide attempt. We also examined a subsidiary hypothesis that the presence of, but not the search for, meaning in life would mediate the relationship between the two variables associated with the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (i.e., perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness) and suicidal ideation. Our results were generally in support of our hypothesis: presence of meaning in life predicted decreased suicidal ideation over time and lower lifetime odds of a suicide attempt. Surprisingly, search for meaning in life also predicted decreased suicidal ideation over time. Finally, the search for, but not presence of, meaning in life mediated the relationship between the interpersonal psychological theory variables and suicidal ideation. These findings suggest that interventions that target meaning in life may be useful to attenuate suicide risk in individuals.     

大学生复原力与适应状况的关系研究

目的考察大学生的心理复原力与适应在不同群体之间的差异以及它们之间的关系。方法采用问卷调查法对530名北京地区在校大学生进行了研究。结果 1女大学生的总体复原力水平高于男性（t=-3.514,P〈0.001）;担任学生干部的大学生心理复原力和适应总体水平均要显著高于没有担任学生干部的大学生（F=2.28,P〈0.05;F=5.70,P〈0.001）;家庭情况中上水平的大学生适应、复原力水平高于其它大学生（F=3.52,P〈0.01;F=3.42,P〈0.01）;2适应与复原力及其各维度都呈显著正相关（r=0.637,P〈0.01）,且自我认同、压力知觉、支持性环境3个维度对总体适应水平具有较强的正向预测作用（β分别为0.20、0.20、0.52,P〈0.001）。结论大学生的心理复原力与适应状况有密切关系。     

Capacity for Survival: Exploring Strengths of Homeless Street Youth

The majority of research on homeless youth has focused on the multitude of problems faced by this vulnerable population. The current study, while acknowledging the hazards of life on the streets, seeks to explore the personal strengths and informal resources street youth rely on to navigate their environments. Qualitative data from seven focus groups conducted with street youth ages 18–24 were analyzed using content analysis. These data, rich with interactions among youth participants, highlight three important themes: developing “street smarts,” existence of personal strengths, and informal resources relied upon by youth to survive. Results provide valuable insights into the strengths of homeless youth that can be useful to providers in assessing street youths’ service needs and increasing the likelihood of long-term positive outcomes.