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Social anxiety disorder is associated with distinct mobility patterns (e.g., increased time spent at home compared to non-anxious individuals), but we know little about if these patterns change following interventions. The ubiquity of GPS-enabled smartphones offers new opportunities to assess the benefits of mental health interventions beyond self-reported data. This pre-registered study () assesses the impact of a brief, online cognitive training intervention for threat interpretations using passively-collected mobile sensing data. Ninety-eight participants scoring high on a measure of trait social anxiety completed five weeks of mobile phone monitoring, with 49 participants randomly assigned to receive the intervention halfway through the monitoring period. The brief intervention was not reliably associated with changes to participant mobility patterns. Despite the lack of significant findings, this paper offers a framework within which to test future intervention effects using GPS data. We present a template for combining clinical theory and empirical GPS findings to derive testable hypotheses, outline data processing steps, and provide human-readable data processing scripts to guide future research. This manuscript illustrates how data processing steps common in engineering can be harnessed to extend our understanding of the impact of mental health interventions in daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent theoretical work suggests that self-reflection on daily stressors and the efficacy of coping strategies and resources is beneficial for the enhancement of resilient capacities. However, coping insights emerging from self-reflection, and their relationship to resilient capacities, is an existing gap in our understanding. Given that insights come in many forms, the objective of this paper is to delineate exemplar coping insights that strengthen the capacity for resilience. After providing an overview of self-reflection and insight, we extend the Systematic Self-Reflection model of resilience strengthening by introducing the Self-Reflection and Coping Insight Framework to articulate how the emergence of coping insights may mediate the relationship between five self-reflective practices and the enhancement of resilient capacities. We explore the potential for coping insights to convey complex ideas about the self in the context of stressor exposure, an awareness of response patterns to stressors, and principles about the nature of stress and coping across time and contexts. This framework adds to existing scholarship by providing a characterization of how coping insight may strengthen resilient capacities, allowing for a guided exploration of coping insight during future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease. Previous studies showed that perceived social support has an important role in enhancing patient's quality of life (QOL). However, the precise mechanisms through which social support exerts such an effect are not completely understood. The aim of this paper is to test two alternative models explaining the relationship between social support (positive and problematic) and two dimensions of QOL: Health-Related (HR-QOL) and Non-Health-Related (NHR-QOL).Design: Model A (mediation) hypothesized that positive support would reduce stress while problematic support would increase stress), and that this in turn would reduce QOL. Model B (moderation) hypothesized that the effect of support on QOL would be moderated by the experience of stress in that more stressed individuals would show stronger effects.Methods: Three hundred and forty-four Italian patients with SLE completed an online questionnaire.Results: Stress partially mediated the relationship between support and QOL dimensions (either HR-QOL and NHR-QOL) thus supporting Model B. As hypothesized, positive support reduced stress, while problematic support increased stress.Conclusions: These findings help to explain the complex relationship between social support, stress and QOL in patients with SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The NIH Toolbox for Neurological and Behavioral Function assessment battery contains measures in the domains of cognitive function, motor function, sensory function, and emotional health. It was designed for use in epidemiological and clinical trials health-related research. Design: This paper describes the first phase of instrument development for the stress and self-efficacy subdomain of emotional health. Based on an extensive literature review and expert consultation, 127 measures were initially considered for inclusion in this subdomain, including measures of stress, self-efficacy, emotion regulation, and coping. Results: Several measures, including emotion regulation and measures of coping strategies, did not meet criteria that were a priori established for inclusion. Psychometric properties of the remaining candidate measures were evaluated using data from five independent samples (combined N = 3175). Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses indicated the Perceived Stress Scale and the General Self-Efficacy Scale each assessed single dimensions. Conclusions: Based on their psychometric performance, these two instruments were selected for inclusion and subsequent national norming for the NIH Toolbox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological models of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders suggest that poor coping responses to life stressors and to symptoms of illness is central to their development and maintenance and influences recovery. These models are widely accepted and inform psychological treatments for psychotic disorders. In this paper, 85 studies that explore how individuals with established psychotic disorders cope with symptoms associated with their illness, and with independent life events and stressors are comprehensively reviewed. Reviewed research included cross-sectional and longitudinal investigations of self-initiated coping. Despite limitations in the existing research, it is concluded that most individuals experiencing psychosis implement at least one strategy to cope with symptoms, and life events and most implement more than one strategy. It appears that having a repertoire of strategies to employ leads to greater effectiveness than simply relying on one strategy. This suggests that treatment strategies that aim to enhance the coping of individuals with psychosis should emphasize the development of a range of coping strategies. It also seems that there is no one coping strategy that is universally effective and situational, or other factors may influence both the choice of coping strategy implemented and its efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrorism creates a ripple of fear and uncertainty. Although most individuals are resilient and recover over time, a minority remains functionally and psychologically impaired. In this paper, we examine research on coping strategies employed in the aftermath of terrorist events, theories and empirical findings related to appraisal processes that influence individuals' primary attributions of risk, and normative processes that shape secondary appraisals, which predict specific coping behaviors. We also describe individual diatheses and factors promoting resilience that may influence coping and functioning in the face of terrorism. Finally, we offer suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a series of articles on the measurement and the process of coping with examination stress.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing protocols designed to impede transmission of the corona virus have severe mental health consequences. This study examine changes in loneliness in the general adult population when the corona-related social distancing protocols were largely discontinued (T2) following a period of strict protocols (T1), predictors and correlates of these changes, and the associations between loneliness and depression and anxiety symptoms. In an online survey, 10,061 responded at T1. At T2, these respondents were asked to complete the survey again, and 4936 (49.1%) of them responded. Loneliness decreased from T1 to T2, but only to a minor extent. Using a multilevel approach, younger age was found to be related to more reduction of loneliness from T1 to T2. Higher health anxiety was found to predict less reduction of loneliness across time. Reduction of maladaptive coping strategies and negative metacognitive beliefs from T1 to T2 were both associated with reduction in loneliness. In turn, reductions in loneliness were associated with reductions of depression and anxiety symptoms. The results suggest that health anxiety, maladaptive coping strategies and negative meta-beliefs are potential targets of intervention to alleviate loneliness. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04444115. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unique feature of the global coronavirus pandemic has been the widespread adoption of mask-wearing as a public health measure to minimize the risk of contagion. Little is known about the effects of increased mask-wearing on social interactions, social anxiety, or overall mental health. Explore the potential effects of mask-wearing on social anxiety. We review existing literatures to highlight three preselected sets of factors that may be important in shaping the effects of mask-wearing on social anxiety. These are: (a) people's perceptions of the social norms associated with wearing masks; (b) people's experiences of the degree to which masks prevent accurate interpretation of social and emotional cues; and (c) people's use of masks as a type of safety behavior that enables self-concealment. APA PsycNet and PubMed were searched principally between September and November 2020 for articles describing the relationship between social anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, ambiguous feedback, and safety behavior use and for research on the relationship between mask-wearing and social norms and social interactions. Information identified as relevant from articles of interest was extracted and included in our review. The effects of mask-wearing on social anxiety are likely to be substantial and clinically relevant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The mental health needs of those in internally displaced persons camps are significant and are compounded by a number of barriers to care. Traditional methods of mental health care are often not feasible and thus a need exists for interventions that can successfully meet these conditions. The current study introduces and tests a new positive-psychology intervention, GROW, which was designed specifically for use in internally displaced persons camps. Design: Pre-Post-Follow-up longitudinal examination of those who participated in the GROW intervention group (N = 766). Methods: The study includes three waves of data for the intervention, which was administered in a group format, using paraprofessionals, over a two-week period in internally displaced persons camps in Iraq. Results: The results indicate significant decreases in symptoms of PTSD for participants from pre- to post-intervention and demonstrates these changes were maintained at a three-month follow-up. Post hoc results indicated participants who were older, female, or who attended more sessions were more likely to respond to the intervention. Conclusions: These data provide initial support for the intervention and suggest additional research to more fully validate this intervention are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: Many studies show that mindfulness can improve quality of life and mental health as well as reduce psychological distress; however, the mechanisms of these effects remain unknown. The mindfulness stress buffering model provides a model for explaining the effects of mindfulness on health outcomes through the mechanism of reducing perceived stress. Therefore, we investigated the mediating role of perceived stress in the relationship between mindfulness and quality of life and mental health.Methods/Design: Three hundred and fifteen soldiers completed the Mindful Attention Awareness scale, Perceived Stress Scale, WHO Quality of Life Assessment, and General Health Questionnaire. Structural equation modeling using bootstrap methods was employed to analyze the data.Results: Results showed that perceived stress partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and quality of life, and that perceived stress fully mediated the relationship between mindfulness and mental health.Conclusions: Mindfulness yields beneficial effects in improving individuals' quality of life and improving mental health through reducing perceived stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: This study assessed the psychological impacts of six weeks of smoke exposure from the 2014 Hazelwood open-cut coalmine fire in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria, Australia, between two and three years after the incident. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional survey of adults investigated outcomes for the most exposed community, Morwell (n = 3091), compared with a similar, but minimally exposed community, Sale (n = 960). Adopting a mixed-methods research approach, 26 interviews with Morwell residents further examined qualities of the experience.Results: Morwell residents scored significantly higher on the Impact of Event Scale - Revised (difference = 6.53; 95%CI: 5.37, 7.35, p < 0.001) and Kessler 10-item general distress scale (difference = 1.69; 95%CI: 1.05, 2.33, p < 0.001). More than two years after the mine fire, Morwell residents reported moderate levels of distress related to the incident. This impact was also evident in interviews, where intrusive thoughts were the most frequently reported symptom of posttraumatic stress. Furthermore, interviews highlighted the vulnerability of people with pre-existing mental health concerns.Conclusions: The elevated psychological distress apparent within the Morwell community over two years after an extended pollution event highlights the need to improve post-incident recovery responses to such events, particularly for supporting residents that are more vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Major negative life-events including bereavement can precipitate perceived positive life-changes, termed posttraumatic growth (PTG). While traditionally considered an adaptive phenomenon, it has been suggested that PTG represents a maladaptive coping response similar to cognitive avoidance. To clarify the function of PTG, it is crucial to establish concurrent and longitudinal associations of PTG with post-event mental health problems. Yet, longitudinal studies on this topic are scarce. The present study fills this gap in knowledge.Design: A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted.Methods: Four-hundred and twelve bereaved adults (87.6% women) filled out scales assessing PTG and symptoms of depression, anxiety, prolonged grief, and posttraumatic stress at baseline and 6 months later.Results: The baseline concurrent relationships between all symptom levels and PTG were curvilinear (inverted U-shape). Cross-lagged analyses demonstrated that symptom levels did not predict levels of PTG 6 months later, or vice versa.Conclusions: Findings suggest PTG after loss has no substantive negative or positive effects on mental health. Development of specific treatments to increase PTG after bereavement therefore appears premature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: A promising method of capturing the complex nature of emotion regulation is to assess composite profiles of regulation (i.e., default pattern of regulation across multiple strategies). However, it remains unclear whether regulatory profiles demonstrate consistency across samples and in relation to mental health.Design: Two studies are presented here. Both utilized a cross-sectional design, and the second study presents a replication of the first.Method: Both studies utilized self-report data from independent undergraduate samples to perform latent profile analyses of emotion regulation use.Results: Studies 1 and 2 demonstrated evidence for four replicable regulatory profiles: Adaptive, Accepting (with or without Suppression), Non-accepting, and Maladaptive. Profiles were also related to symptoms of depression and anxiety, such that those consistently relying on adaptive strategies reported lower symptoms than those relying more heavily on maladaptive strategies.Conclusions: These findings clarify previous work which tied regulatory profiles to psychological health by extending a person-centered approach to understanding the ways in which individuals regulate their emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Posttraumatic stress disorder, a commonly researched mental health outcome associated with trauma, does not develop in the majority of survivors. More common trajectories of adaptation include resilience, and posttraumatic growth (PTG). The objectives of the current study were to: (1) describe posttrauma adaptation profiles in a sample of Israeli male military veterans (N = 448); and (2) to explore the protective factors that promote constructive PTG within two profiles of posttrauma adaptation.Methods: The study used secondary data to estimate latent profile mixture models and a series of logistic regression analyses.Results: Demographic controls, combat related variables, endorsement of coping strategies, and reports of improvement in social support were not significant predictors of constructive growth in the resilient class. However, those in the struggling growth subset of the sample who reported improvement in perceived social support increased the odds of reaching constructive growth.Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of tailored clinical interventions that account for more complex profiles of posttrauma adaptation; and further, provide evidence that adaptation takes place over time. Finally, these findings call for future research to continue to explore the quality of PTG and the contexts in which protective factors promote positive adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to further understanding of the relationship between social support, internalized and perceived stigma, and mental health among women who experienced sexual violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).Methods: Drawing from baseline survey data collected in eastern DRC, researchers conducted a secondary cross-sectional analysis using data from 744 participants. Regression and moderation analyses were conducted to examine associations between social support variables, felt stigma, and depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Results: Emotional support seeking and felt stigma were positively associated with increased symptom severity across all three mental health variables. Stigma modified associations between emotional support seeking and depression (t = -2.49, p = .013), anxiety (t = -3.08, p = .002), and PTSD (t = -2.94, p = .003). Increased frequency of emotional support seeking was associated with higher mental health symptoms of anxiety and PTSD among women experiencing all levels of stigma.Conclusions: Enhancing understanding of social support and stigma may inform research and intervention among Congolese forced migrant populations across circumstances and geographic locations. Implications for practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Prior research suggests that altering situation-specific evaluations of stress as challenging versus threatening can improve responses to stress. The aim of the current study was to explore whether cognitive, physiological and affective stress responses can be altered independent of situation-specific evaluations by changing individuals' mindsets about the nature of stress in general.Design: Using a 2 × 2 design, we experimentally manipulated stress mindset using multi-media film clips orienting participants (N = 113) to either the enhancing or debilitating nature of stress. We also manipulated challenge and threat evaluations by providing positive or negative feedback to participants during a social stress test.Results: Results revealed that under both threat and challenge stress evaluations, a stress-is-enhancing mindset produced sharper increases in anabolic ("growth") hormones relative to a stress-is-debilitating mindset. Furthermore, when the stress was evaluated as a challenge, a stress-is-enhancing mindset produced sharper increases in positive affect, heightened attentional bias towards positive stimuli, and greater cognitive flexibility, whereas a stress-is-debilitating mindset produced worse cognitive and affective outcomes.Conclusions: These findings advance stress management theory and practice by demonstrating that a short manipulation designed to generate a stress-is-enhancing mindset can improve responses to both challenging and threatening stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: This study examined prospective associations between changes in mental health symptoms (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression) and health-related quality of life (physical health, psychological well-being) for veterans with PTSD.Design: This study focused on 139 patients who completed a residential treatment program for PTSD in the Veterans Health Administration.Methods: Patients completed the veteran-specific, 12-item Medical Outcomes Study Short Form, PTSD Checklist - Military version, and Beck Depression Inventory at pre-treatment, discharge, and a four-month follow-up. When accounting for demographic factors, combat exposure, and baseline scores on the respective outcome variables (e.g. mental health, physical health, PTSD, and depressive symptoms), a series of multivariate analyses were conducted for treatment-related changes in mental and physical health on the outcome measures.Results: Reductions in PTSD symptomatology during the treatment period were prospectively linked with better health-related outcomes at the four-month follow-up. In addition, improved physical health and psychological well-being during treatment were each similarly associated with better PTSD and depression outcomes in the months following treatment.Conclusions: Addressing concerns in mental and physical health might have synergistic effects across both domains, supporting the need for holistic models and integrated health care strategies for treating veterans with PTSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Levels of stress and burnout increase during nursing education. This development has consequences for nursing students' health, learning, competence, and interest in quality issues in health care.Design: In a randomized controlled pilot trial with a sample of 113 nursing students the effect of an intervention using techniques from acceptance and commitment training (ACT) to prevent the development of stress and burnout was evaluated.Method: The 6 × 2-hour program was compared to standard treatment (reflection seminars) post-intervention and at a three-month follow-up using longitudinal analysis of mean response profiles. Mechanisms of change were investigated using a baseline-post intervention two-mediator model.Results: The intervention resulted in increased mindful awareness and decreased experiential avoidance, as well as decreased perceived stress and burnout. Levels of mindful awareness and perceived stress were sustained at follow-up. The proposed mechanisms of change were partly supported by the data.Conclusion: This study shows that techniques from ACT might have the potential to contribute to preventing the development of stress and burnout during nursing education. However, additional studies are needed to validate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The development of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSs) following a trauma is related to impairment, diminished quality of life, and physical health issues. Yet it is not clear why some trauma-exposed individuals experience negative outcomes while others do not. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of several influential factors related to PTS severity and negative outcomes.Methods: One hundred and twenty-two trauma-exposed adults were administered the following self-report measures: the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian, the Trauma History Questionnaire-Short, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3, Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale 21, Sheehan Disability Scale, World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF, and an abbreviated Patient Health Questionnaire.Primary Results: PTS severity was positively correlated with depressive symptom severity (r = 0.54, p < 0.001), chronicity of the most distressing trauma (r = 0.21, p = 0.017), and number of traumas (r = 0.22, p = 0.012). Main effects were found for PTS severity (β = -0.38, p < 0.01) and anxiety sensitivity (AS; β = -0.39, p < 0.01) on quality of life. No interaction was found between PTS severity and AS with any negative outcome. PTS severity mediated the relationship between AS and physical health issues (0.05; 95% CI: 0.02-0.08).Conclusion: This study helps clarify the role of various factors in the relationship between trauma and negative outcomes. Clinical and research implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Individual differences after trauma vary considerably and can range from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to posttraumatic growth (PTG). Current theoretical models cannot fully explain this variability. Therefore, we integrated attachment theory with Ehlers and Clark's model of PTSD to understand whether attachment style is associated with negative appraisals of a traumatic event(s), posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS), and PTG. Our aim was to test this integrated model PTSD in an analog sample who had experienced at least one traumatic event.Design: We used structural equation modeling to test the association of adult attachment and posttraumatic cognitions (self and world/others) with PTS and PTG using a cross-sectional, correlational design.Methods: The sample comprised 393 university staff and students (RangeAge= 18-49, 85% females) who completed online measures.Results: Attachment anxiety and negative posttraumatic self-cognitions were positively associated. Negative posttraumatic self-cognitions were positively associated with PTS. Attachment anxiety had an indirect effect (via negative posttraumatic self-cognitions) on PTS, whereas attachment avoidance predicted more negative posttraumatic world cognitions and lower perceived PTG.Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of considering how attachment styles influence posttraumatic emotion regulation and cognitive processing of the trauma to determine posttraumatic mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and stress are significant problems among returning veterans and are associated with reduced quality of life. Design: A correlational design was used to examine the impact of a polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the serotonin transporter promoter gene on post-deployment adjustment among returning veterans. Methods: A total of 186 returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. Symptoms of PTSD, depression, general stress, and anxiety were assessed along with quality of life. Results: After controlling for combat exposure, age, sex of the participant, and race, 5-HTTLPR had a significant multivariate effect on post-deployment adjustment, such that S' carriers reported more post-deployment adjustment problems and worse quality of life than veterans homozygous for the L' allele. This effect was larger when the analyses were restricted to veterans of European ancestry. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that veterans who carry the S' allele of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism may be at increased risk for adjustment problems and reduced quality of life following deployments to war zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives:This study explores the nexus of relationships between memories of Holocaust-related early traumatic events, survivors’ sense of coherence (SOC), and subjective well-being (SWB) in late life.Design:The basic design of this study, based 106 survivors (54% female), was cross-sectional.Methods:Participants underwent an extensive in-depth clinical interview relating to their Holocaust experiences and responded to measures of SOC and SWB.Results:These data provided no evidence for the moderating or “buffering” effect of SOC but showed support for indirect effects of SOC in the relationship between memory traces of specific traumatic experiences and adaptive outcomes.Conclusions:The results of the present study provide support for Antonovsky’s salutogenic perspective. It is highly plausible that survivors who underwent severe experiences during the Holocaust period were forced to call upon all their inner strengths and coping resources,and that their success in doing so and also surviving this horrendous period, might have contributed to the development of a stronger sense of meaning and coherence, which, in turn lead to a better sense of mental health as they approach the final season of their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background and Objectives:The challenge–hindrance framework has shown that challenge stressors (work characteristics associated with potential personal gain) tend to have positive outcomes, whereas hindrance stressors (those which obstruct goals) have negative outcomes. However, typical research methods assume that stressors allocated to these categories are appraised consistently by different people and across different situations. We validate new measures of challenge and hindrance appraisals and demonstrate their utility in stress research.Design and Methods:We used a cross-sectional survey of American employees (Study 1,n= 333), a diary survey of Australian employees (Study 2,n= 241), and a survey of Australian college students whose performance was evaluated independently (Study 3,n= 350).Results:Even after accounting for the effects of stressors, challenge and hindrance appraisals consistently explained unique variance in affective states, with indications that stressors have indirect effects via appraisals. Such effects were seen within- as well as between-participants (Study 2). Appraisals also had expected associations with specific coping behaviors (Study 1), while challenge appraisal was associated with task performance (Study 3).Conclusions:The scales of challenge and hindrance appraisals were psychometrically sound across multiple contexts. Results highlight the merit of considering appraisal in stress research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence across a multitude of contexts indicates that social support is associated with reduced risk for mental health symptoms. More information is needed on the effectiveness of different sources of support, as well as sex differences in support. Associations between social support from two sources – the military unit and friends and family – and mental health symptoms were examined in a study of 1571 Marine recruits assessed at the beginning and end of a highly stressful 13-week training program. Military social support buffered the stressor exposure–posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS) relationship, whereas the relationship between stressor exposure and PTSS was highest when civilian social support was high. Further inspection of the interactions revealed that military support was most important at high levels of stressor exposure. Sex differences in the relationship between social support and symptoms were found, such that support from military peers was associated with lower levels of PTSS for men, whereas civilian support was associated with lower PTSS for women. While civilian social support was associated with lower levels of depression symptom severity in both women and men, the relationship was stronger for women. Reviewed implications focus on the importance of considering the recipient, source, and context of social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive thought (RT) – attentive, prolonged, or frequent thought about oneself and one's world – plays an important role in many models of psychological and physical ill health (e.g., rumination and worry), as well as models of recovery and well-being (e.g., processing and reminiscing). In these models, repetitive thought is typically treated as stable or trait-like. In contrast, episodic RT reflects what people have “on their minds” at a particular point in time. In four studies, young women (N=94), college students (N=166), first-year law students (N=73), and older adults (N=174) described their episodic RT, which was then rated for qualities including valence, purpose, and theme. Episodic RT valence was associated with mood and depressive symptoms both between (Studies 1–4) and within people (Studies 3–4), and it mediated the effects of dispositional coping through emotional approach (Study 1). The effect of episodic RT valence in turn was moderated by other properties of episodic RT, including purpose, “trait” valence, and theme (Studies 1–4). The study of episodic RT complements that of trait RT and allows for observations of how RT and psychological adjustment change in concert and in context, as well as examining how the RT qualities that are not reflected in trait measures affect adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors evaluated the psychometric properties of the Firefighter Coping Self-Efficacy (FFCSE) Scale, a new measure developed to assess firefighters’ perceived competence in managing stressful and traumatic experiences encountered on the job. Two samples of firefighters completed the FFCSE Scale at two different time points. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a unidimensional structure, which was further supported with confirmatory factor analysis using a second sample. Internal consistency of the measure was excellent. Analysis of cross-sectional data indicated FFCSE was positively associated with measures of psychological well-being and social support, and negatively associated with work-related stress and psychological distress. FFCSE also uniquely contributed to the variance in psychological distress, over and above variables previously shown to be associated with distress among this population. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Well-being at work has been shown to be influenced by job characteristics and individual differences in coping styles. This study investigated the relationships between job demands, control, social support, efforts, rewards, coping, and attributional style in predicting anxiety, depression, and job satisfaction in a sample of 307 university employees from the UK. Results were compared to those from a sample of 120 members of the general population. Workplace demands, intrinsic and extrinsic effort, and negative coping and attributional behaviors were associated with high levels of depression and anxiety and low job satisfaction in university employees. Rewards, social support, job control, and positive coping and attributional behaviors were associated with lower levels of depression and anxiety and high job satisfaction. The study adds to the growing research on university samples by showing that a transactional approach should be adopted. This has implications for interventions and suggests that rather than just trying to change job characteristics one should identify at-risk individuals in this population and help them adopt appropriate positive coping styles. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study tests the dynamic nature of the Job Demands-Resources model with regard to both motivational and health impairment processes. It does so by examining whether daily fluctuations in co-workers' support (i.e., a typical job resource) and daily fluctuations in work/family conflict (i.e., a typical job demand) predict day-levels of job satisfaction and mental health through work engagement and exhaustion, respectively. A total of 61 schoolteachers completed a general questionnaire and a daily survey over a period of five consecutive work days. Multilevel analyses provided evidence for both the above processes. Consistently with the hypotheses, our results showed that day-level work engagement mediated the impact of day-level co-workers' support on day-level job satisfaction and day-level mental health, after general levels of work engagement and outcome variables had been controlled for. Moreover, day-level exhaustion mediated the relationship between day-level work/family conflict and day-level job satisfaction and day-level mental health after general levels of exhaustion and outcome variables had been controlled for. These findings provide new insights into the dynamic psychological processes that determine daily fluctuations in employee well-being. Such insights may be transformed into job redesign strategies and other interventions designed to enhance work-related psychological well-being on a daily level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether a repressive coping style is associated with fewer intrusions following an experimentally controlled stressor. Furthermore, we examined whether lower activation of stressor-relevant concepts in long-term memory and better inhibitory functioning may contribute to this association. Extreme-scoring participants on a trait anxiety and a social desirability scale were selected to form repressor (n=35), low anxious (n=15), high anxious (n=30), and defensive (n=21) groups. In line with predictions, repressors reported fewer intrusions following a failure manipulation compared to non-repressors. Furthermore, pre-stressor inhibitory functioning was negatively associated with color-naming interference of stressor-related words. This suggests that overall, higher inhibitory control is related to lower activation of failure-related concepts. However, there was no evidence that concept activation and inhibitory control were responsible for repressors' lower number of self-reported intrusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested predictions of the metacognitive model of post-traumatic stress disorder (Wells, 2000) concerning relationships between stress symptoms and maladaptive control of thoughts. We tested the hypothesis that the tendency to use worry as a means of controlling thoughts will be positively predictive of stress symptoms. In doing so, overlaps with symptomatic worry, stress symptoms, and stress exposure at time 1 was controlled. One hundred and ten (110) college students were assessed twice, over a three-month period. Consistent with predictions, use of worry as a thought control strategy made a significant and independent contribution to the prediction of stress symptoms. The findings provide further support for Wells' metacognitive model of stress reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares the levels of burnout syndrome among German and Chinese teachers. Dimensions that constitute the burnout syndrome; Theoretical construct of burnout; General perceived self-efficacy; Proactive attitude.

Evaluates the extent and severity of depressive symptoms among adults in Armenia one year after the 1988 earthquake. Level of depression among earthquake survivors; Important mediators of severity of post-disaster depression; Relationship of the discrepancies with the cultural differences in value orientation.