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In this study we examined the association between childhood maltreatment exposure (CME) and psychological distress, including symptoms of depression and anxiety, during pregnancy. Additionally, we explored the potential moderating effect of trait resilience on these associations. The study is part of the ongoing FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study. The sample consisted of 3016 mothers and 1934 fathers. The data were collected using self-report questionnaires, including EPDS, SCL-90, CD-RISC-10 and TADS. We conducted ANOVAs and linear logistic regression analyses to examine the associations between depression, anxiety, resilience, and CMEs. CMEs were associated with increased psychological distress, including depression symptoms and anxiety, and decreased trait resilience among both mothers and fathers. Additionally, trait resilience had a moderating effect on the association between fathers' CMEs and psychological distress, while no significant moderating effect was found among mothers. Furthermore, among both mothers and fathers, higher trait resilience was associated with decreased anxiety and depressive symptoms. Due to cross-sectionality, it is not possible to establish a causal relationship between CMEs, resilience, and parental distress. Additionally, the study does not provide insights into the underlying factors or processes that contribute to the development of trait resilience. Trait resilience may have a positive impact on parents' mental health during pregnancy. This study is the first to investigate the significance of fathers' trait resilience during pregnancy. In clinical settings, it is essential to identify parents with low levels of resilience and provide them with appropriate support, recognizing them as a vulnerable group. • Childhood maltreatment is associated with increased distress among both parents. • Trait resilience is associated with fewer depression and anxiety symptoms. • Resilience moderates distress-childhood maltreatment association among fathers. • Trait resilience appears to protect parents' mental health during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examines Israel's national resilience during the first week of the war with Gaza, as perceived by the Hebrew-speaking population. We examined the psychological variables (indicators of coping) and demographic characteristics as predictors of the mean national resilience score as well as four national resilience (NR) factors separately. Validated quantitative tools were used to collect the data from a sample of adult Israelis (n = 2002) through an internet panel. Path analyses were used to identify the variables that are associated with national resilience. The results indicate a difference between the variables found to relate to the mean composite NR index and that of each of the four factors as tested separately. The best variable that was found to relate to the composite NR as well as factor 1 (patriotism) and factor 3 (solidarity) means was hope: the higher the hope, the higher the composite NR, patriotism and solidarity reported. In contrast, the best associated with Factor 2 (trust in the government) was the degree of supporting the government, while the best associated of factor 4 (trust in state institutions was the level of religiosity. Community resilience was the second-best predictor of all factors and the composite NR score. The demographic variables of age and family income were positively associated, while religiosity and education were negatively associated with the composite NR average score. However, the demographic characteristics together explained only a small percentage of the NR average and each of its four factors. At the same time, the five coping and government support together explained more than 40 % of the composite NR mean. Practitioners and policymakers should thus invest efforts during crises to build public trust and enhance solidarity and patriotism, thereby sustaining national resilience that is vital for coping with adversities. • Hope is the best predictor of national resilience; • Community resilience is the second-best predictor of national resilience; • National resilience consists of solidarity, patriotism, and trust; • Government support and coping means explain >40 % of national resilience; • Authorities must gain the public's trust in crises to ensure national resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People affected by wars frequently present distress symptoms and varied fears but may also exhibit resolve and resilience. The study aimed to examine strengths and vulnerability factors that predict resilience during the war in Ukraine, among Ukrainian citizens who directly experience military aggression and Polish citizens, who are exposed to the influx of refugees. Using internet panels, samples of people from Ukraine and Poland (N = 1001 and N = 1078, respectively) completed a structured questionnaire, based on validated scales that measured individual, community, and societal resilience, sense of danger, distress symptoms, hope, morale, well-being, and demographic characteristics. Hope was identified as the best predictor, and well-being was the second-best predictor of community and societal resilience in both countries. While higher percentages of Ukrainian versus Polish respondents displayed high levels of sense of danger (61% vs 15%, respectively) and distress symptoms (27% vs 17%, respectively), they simultaneously presented much higher levels of the community (47% vs 22%, respectively) and societal (66% vs 24%, respectively) resilience. The results suggest that strengths factors are better indicators of resilience than vulnerability factors, in a situation of severe adversity. An existential threat to the independence and sovereignty of Ukrainian society may catalyze a high sense of societal resilience. • High levels of resilience and distress can exist simultaneously during adversity • Strengths indicate resilience better than vulnerability factors, in severe crises • Existential threats to society may serve as catalysts for societal resilience • Hope best predicts social resilience among both Ukrainian and Polish residents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Whereas prior work has established fear and distress clusters underlying unipolar mood and anxiety disorders, the optimal placement of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) within this model is unclear. One likely contributor to this ambiguity is the heterogeneous nature of OCD. There is increasing evidence for distinct symptom dimensions that are more homogenous than the broad OCD phenotype. Using structural equation modeling, the current study examined the relations between various OCD symptom dimensions and symptoms associated with fear/distress disorders. Methods Participants included 526 individuals recruited from an online crowdsourcing marketplace. Results Results revealed that the symmetry obsessions/arranging compulsions, harm obsessions/checking compulsions, and unacceptable thoughts/neutralizing compulsions were related to both fear and distress disorder symptoms, whereas the contamination obsessions/washing compulsions dimension of OCD was specifically related to fear disorder symptoms. Limitations Limitations include the use of self-report questionnaires to measure all constructs of interest. Conclusions These findings add to a growing body of literature attesting to the multidimensional nature of OCD and progress our understanding of the etiological underpinnings of this severe and debilitating condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The concept of male depression is based on the hypothesis that typical symptoms of depression in men often seem to be masked by non-typical male distress symptoms not considered in common depression inventories. Although there is a large amount of clinical evidence, scientific evidence is still lacking. The study aims at further validating the concept of male depression, by obtaining information on symptoms reported by males, and analyzing the dimensional structure of the Gotland Scale of Male Depression [Rutz, W., 1999. Improvement of care for people suffering from depression: The need for comprehensive education. International Clinical Psychopharmacology 14, 27–33.]. Methods: A community sample of male adolescents aged 18 (n =1004) was asked to complete the WHO-5 Well-being Index [Bech, P., 1998. Quality of life in the psychiatric patient. London: Mosby-Wolfe.] and the Gotland Scale of Male Depression [Rutz, W., 1999. Improvement of care for people suffering from depression: The need for comprehensive education. International Clinical Psychopharmacology 14, 27–33.]. Principal component analysis with promax rotation was calculated to analyze the dimensional structure of the Gotland Scale. Cluster center analyses were used to classify the sample according to the symptoms'' characteristics. Results: General well-being was rather reduced, and 22% of the respondents were seen to be at risk of male depression. There was no evidence for the hypothesis that young males tend to mask their depressive symptoms with distress symptoms. Depressive and male distress symptoms appeared to be mixed in a dominant factor, while male distress symptoms constitute an additional minor factor. A cluster of 38% of those at risk for depression could be identified who reported significantly elevated male distress symptoms. Irritability turned out to be the single item of the Gotland Scale with the highest item-total correlation. Limitations: Risk of depression was not assessed by an additional depression scale or evaluated by a clinical rating. Conclusions: Male distress symptoms should be considered when diagnosing depression in men. Further research is needed with respect to comorbidity and differential diagnoses, which should also include bipolar depression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The current study analyzed repeated responses to the coronavirus. Data for the first phase was gathered during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Israel (T1), which included the overall lock-down of the Israeli society. The repeated measurement was conducted approximately two months later, on the initial phase of lifting the lock-down (T2). The sample size was 300 people. Results indicated four significant differences between the first and the second measurements: Sense of danger, distress symptoms, and national resilience significantly decreased, while perceived well-being increased at T2. No significant differences were noted between the two measurements regarding individual and community resilience and economic difficulties. The data indicated that the highest decrease in national resilience was accounted for by low respondent trust in governmental decisions during the COVID-19 crisis. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the participants was determined by two indicators: level of distress symptoms and sense of danger. Path analyses showed that five variables significantly predicted these two indicators. Their best predictor at T1 and T2 was well-being followed by individual resilience, economic difficulties due to the pandemic crisis, community resilience, and gender. It was concluded that psychological attributes may help in decreasing the impact of the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]