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INTRODUCTION: Locus of control (LoC) refers to ones expectation that life outcomes and (mis)fortune are driven largely by ones own actions or abilities (internal LoC) or by external factors (e.g., powerful others, chance; external LoC). There is a large literature demonstrating an association between internal LoC and positive mental health outcomes. However, this research is conducted mostly in high-income, Global North settings, with limited consideration of cross-cultural variability. This short report explores how LoC relates to mental health when considered in a less-studied context: in a setting of stark structural violence and in relation to supernatural agents. METHODS: I conducted a community-based survey in rural Haiti (n = 322) that assessed sent spirit-related locus of control (LoC-S) and mental health. RESULTS: Among individuals experiencing higher levels of daily stressors, depressive and anxiety symptoms were high regardless of LoC-S. However, for individuals facing low-to-moderate daily stressors, external LoC-S (believing one does not have control in relation to sent spirits) was associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms, though this interaction did not hold for anxiety after controlling for covariates. Though initially a nonintuitive finding, I contextualize this outcome in relation to ethnographic work in Haiti, showing that the ability to explain misfortune via the supernatural world can serve as a form of blame displacement. CONCLUSION: In a context where extreme structural violence means that individuals realistically have little control over their lives, an external LoC better reflects lived experience, helping explain the association with better mental health outcomes.

There is already considerable evidence suggesting the potential existence of a comprehensive system that reflects how individuals utilize psychological capital (PsyCap) to preserve mental health amid daily stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic. To explore the underlying mechanism of this system, the current study is the first to use network analysis showing the dimension-level correlation patterns of daily stressors, subjective well-being (SWB), psychological distress and PsyCap during the pandemic. We recruited 1556 participants in China and assessed daily stressors, SWB, psychological distress, and PsyCap through self-report questionnaires. A dimension-level network analysis was conducted to identify key dimensions and their associations. Relative importance analysis examined the contribution of each PsyCap dimension to SWB and psychological distress. Depression, anxiety and stress demonstrated high strength, and life satisfaction exhibited the highest bridge strength in the network. The great majority dimensions of daily stressors had positive connections with stress and anxiety, while financial restrictions and dissatisfaction with education/occupation had negative connections with life satisfaction. Self-efficacy and optimism were positively connected with life satisfaction. Hope and resilience were negatively connected with stress, as well as hope and optimism were negatively connected with depression. Optimism and self-efficacy made the highest contribution to SWB, while resilience made the highest contribution to psychological distress among PsyCap dimensions. The findings elucidate the intricate relationship between daily stressors, SWB, psychological distress and PsyCap during the pandemic. Targeted interventions focusing on the specific PsyCap dimensions may enhance mental health outcomes in the post-COVID-19 era. • Depression, anxiety and stress demonstrated high strength, and life satisfaction exhibited the highest bridge strength. • Different dimensions of daily stressors and psychological capital had the specific correlation patterns with mental health. • Optimism and self-efficacy had the highest contribution to subjective well-being among psychological capital dimensions. • Resilience had the highest contribution to psychological distress among psychological capital dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Reactivity to daily stressors may change as a function of stressor type and age. However, prior research often excludes older adults or compares them to younger age groups (e.g., younger and middle-aged adults). Recognizing older adults as a heterogeneous population with shifting motivations, this study focused on individuals aged ≥65 years and tested age differences in associations between different types of daily stressors, affect, and physical symptoms. Methods: A total of 108 older adults aged 65–92 years (M = 73.11, SD = 5.92; 58% women) completed daily dairy questionnaires on daily stressors, positive and negative affect, and physical symptoms for 14 consecutive days. Multilevel models were employed, adjusting for sex, age, education, living situation, and day-in-study. Results: Findings revealed age-dependent variations in the associations between daily stressors and affect and physical symptoms. Specifically, external stressors (e.g., finance and traffic stressors) and health stressors were more strongly associated with daily affective states and with overall physical symptoms (respectively) among older age adults. Age did not moderate associations between social stressors and affect or physical symptoms. Conclusion: These findings underscore the heterogeneous nature of older adults' responses to daily stressors based on stressor type and age. Specifically, the oldest-old might benefit from personalized support for dealing with challenges such as health and financial stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social anxiety and depressive symptoms often co-occur during early adolescence but contributing factors to this development are still a matter of debate. This study examined the role of daily stressors (peers, school performance, and homelife) in the links between adolescent social anxiety and depressive symptoms. 7–8th graders at Time 1 (N = 2,752, Mage = 13.65; 47.5% girls) were followed across three time-points. Cross-lagged path models showed that depressive symptoms predicted later social anxiety, but not vice versa. Bidirectional links were identified between peer stress and social anxiety, and between school performance/homelife stress and depressive symptoms, respectively. Indirect effects of social anxiety, depressive symptoms, and daily stressors were found, though stressors did not mediate the links between social anxiety and depressive symptoms (or vice versa). Our findings indicate an intricate role of daily stressors in different domains, such as peers, school performance, and homelife, on the links between social anxiety and depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Experiencing stress can be associated with feeling and looking older. The goal of this study was to examine daily fluctuations in control beliefs as a potential moderator of the relationship between daily stressors and two indicators of subjective aging in younger adults. Data were collected from 107 younger adults between the ages of 18 and 36 (M = 19.96) who completed an online questionnaire via Qualtrics daily for 9 consecutive days. On Day 1, participants reported demographic information and on Days 2–9, participants reported their daily subjective ages (how old they felt and how old they looked), daily stressors, and perceptions of daily control beliefs. Results from multilevel models revealed that increases in daily stressors were associated with increases in both felt and look age. Although there was no main effect of control beliefs, control beliefs did function as a moderator of the relationship between daily stressors and felt age as well as between daily stressors and look age. Specifically, the aging effect of daily stressors was not significant on days with increases in control beliefs. These results suggest that young adults feel and look older on days when they experience higher levels of stressors and that increases in perceptions of control help to mitigate this effect.

Unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) are a group in an especially vulnerable situation with heightened psychological suffering due to both stressful life events and current daily stressors. Research has shown that certain coping strategies such as avoidance can be adaptive in the face of ongoing stress. We conceptualize social support as an essential coping resource that these strategies tap into. Since the interrelations between these factors are often not clear in the literature, this study strives to identify and link URMs' coping strategies, the respective coping resources and the various stressors they target, shortly after arrival in a high-income country. Seventy-nine URMs from various backgrounds were recruited in two first-phase reception centers in Belgium. In addition to self-report questionnaires to assess stressful life events and current daily stressors, we conducted semi-structured interviews, with cultural mediators if required. Thematic analysis was applied to the participants' accounts and resulted in the identification of four coping strategies: avoidance and distraction, continuity and coherence, selective reliance, and positive appraisal and acceptance. The relation between these coping strategies, the various coping resources used, and the specific stressors at which they aim are discussed. We conclude that avoidant coping and contact with the ethnic community, particularly the peer group, are fundamental strategies for successful coping. Practitioners need to support URMs in their coping efforts by providing and facilitating appropriate coping resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Fifteen years ago, we published an article in Social Science and Medicine seeking to resolve the contentious debate between advocates of two very different frameworks for understanding and addressing the mental health needs of conflict-affected populations. The two approaches, which we labelled trauma-focused and psychosocial , reflect deeply held beliefs about the causes and nature of distress in war-affected communities. Drawing on the burgeoning literature on armed conflict and mental health, the reports of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) staff in the field, and on research on the psychology and psychophysiology of stress, we proposed an integrative model that drew on the strengths of both frameworks and underscored their essential complementarity. Our model includes two primary pathways by which armed conflict impacts mental health: directly, through exposure to war-related violence and loss, and indirectly, through the harsh conditions of everyday life caused or exacerbated by armed conflict. The mediated model we proposed draws attention to the effects of stressors both past (prior exposure to war-related violence and loss) and present (ongoing conflict, daily stressors), at all levels of the social ecology; for that reason, we have termed it an ecological model for understanding the mental health needs of conflict-affected populations. Methods In the ensuing 15 years, the model has been rigorously tested in diverse populations and has found robust support. In this paper, we first summarize the development and key tenets of the model and briefly review recent empirical support for it. We then discuss the implications of an ecological framework for interventions aimed at strengthening mental health in conflict-affected populations. Results We present preliminary evidence suggesting there has been a gradual shift towards more ecological (i.e. multilevel, multimodal) programming in MHPSS interventions, along the lines suggested by our model as well as other conceptually related frameworks, particularly public health. Conclusions We reflect on several gaps in the model, most notably the absence of adverse childhood experiences. We suggest the importance of examining early adversity as both a direct influence on mental health and as a potential moderator of the impact of potentially traumatic war-related experiences of violence and loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lingering negative affect (negative emotions related to stressors that had occurred the day before) has been introduced in recent years as a potential negative mediator to one’s future physical health. The present study utilized longitudinal data from a community-based, nationwide study (n = 2023) to replicate a previous study on how negative affect that persists after a stressor has occurred is related to future health (Leger et al., Psychological science, 29(B), 1283-1290, 2018). Preliminary findings indicated that while certain values (e.g. means, standard deviation) were different from Leger’s due to inconsistencies in the number of participants (n = 1155) included in the original paper, participants who graduated from high school and above experienced more stressors, and tended to be younger.

Abstract Aims Fifteen years ago, we published an article in Social Science and Medicine seeking to resolve the contentious debate between advocates of two very different frameworks for understanding and addressing the mental health needs of conflict-affected populations. The two approaches, which we labelled trauma-focused and psychosocial, reflect deeply held beliefs about the causes and nature of distress in war-affected communities. Drawing on the burgeoning literature on armed conflict and mental health, the reports of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) staff in the field, and on research on the psychology and psychophysiology of stress, we proposed an integrative model that drew on the strengths of both frameworks and underscored their essential complementarity. Our model includes two primary pathways by which armed conflict impacts mental health: directly, through exposure to war-related violence and loss, and indirectly, through the harsh conditions of everyday life caused or exacerbated by armed conflict. The mediated model we proposed draws attention to the effects of stressors both past (prior exposure to war-related violence and loss) and present (ongoing conflict, daily stressors), at all levels of the social ecology; for that reason, we have termed it an ecological model for understanding the mental health needs of conflict-affected populations. Methods In the ensuing 15 years, the model has been rigorously tested in diverse populations and has found robust support. In this paper, we first summarize the development and key tenets of the model and briefly review recent empirical support for it. We then discuss the implications of an ecological framework for interventions aimed at strengthening mental health in conflict-affected populations. Results We present preliminary evidence suggesting there has been a gradual shift towards more ecological (i.e., multilevel, multimodal) programming in MHPSS interventions, along the lines suggested by our model as well as other conceptually related frameworks, particularly public health. Conclusions We reflect on several gaps in the model, most notably the absence of adverse childhood experiences. We suggest the importance of examining early adversity as both a direct influence on mental health and as a potential moderator of the impact of potentially traumatic war-related experiences of violence and loss.

Abstract Background Resettlement experiences of refugee parents are under-researched despite evidence indicating higher risk of poor mental health. The current study integrates family systems and social determinants of refugee mental health frameworks to examine: (1) Refugee parents’ experiences of resettlement stressors and mental health; (2) Perceived impacts of resettlement stressors on individual and family indicators of well-being; and (3) Refugee parents’ coping strategies and resources. Methods The study draws on data from a mixed methods survey conducted with 40 Government-Assisted Refugee parents who had resettled to Hamilton, Canada within the past 4 years. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately and then integrated at the results stage using a weaving approach. Results Results indicate significant exposure to economic and social stressors across multiple domains of daily life, as well as high levels of parental psychological distress. Parents drew linkages between resettlement stressors and negative mental health impacts that were compounded by intersecting risk factors of ill health, caregiving burden, single parenthood, and low levels of education and literacy. Most parents rated themselves as coping well or very well and described various coping strategies such as positive reframing, problem solving, planning, and turning to religion. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicate high frequency of positive parent-child interaction and low frequency of family conflict, and highlight the importance of family as a protective resource for coping with adversity. Exploratory regression analyses suggest that longer stay in Canada, poorer self-rated health, higher levels of resettlement stressors, and more conflict between adults in the household may be associated with greater psychological distress. Conclusion Study findings highlight both the resilience of refugee parents and the psychological toll of navigating their families through a new and challenging environment. Policies and programs to provide comprehensive social and economic supports to refugees beyond the first one to two years after arrival are necessary to mitigate the mental health impacts of displacement over time and strengthen individual and family resilience. Such programs should include culturally responsive and family-based models of mental health care that acknowledge collective experiences and impacts of adversity, as well as harness family resources to overcome past and present challenges.

Introduction: There is growing recognition that daily stressors, such as social and material deficiencies, can be highly detrimental to the mental health of refugees. These stressors are in addition to stressful life events, which have been widely studied in the context of migration and forced displacement. Despite increasing evidence for an ecological model, there is still no consensus regarding the conceptualization of these highly influential factors. In particular, the demarcation of daily stressors from stressful life events and the categorization of daily stressors require further examination in order to develop usable and accurate tools for researchers, design effective interventions for practitioners and assist politicians in designing meaningful policies. Methods: To address these challenges, we used data from a sample of 392 unaccompanied young refugees from diverse backgrounds and employed network analysis to examine the relationships between daily stressors, stressful life events, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Results: Our findings highlight the significant relationship between daily stressors and mental health, particularly depression. Meaningful clusters of daily stressors include material stressors, social stressors, and social exclusion stressors. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate the importance of considering daily stressors in the mental health of refugees and suggest that using a network approach offers a viable way to study these complex interrelationships. These findings have implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in understanding and addressing the mental health needs of refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Unaccompanied young refugees (UYRs) show elevated levels of mental distress such as post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression, and anxiety. The individual post-arrival situation in the host country plays an important role in increasing or reducing mental health risks for these vulnerable children and youth. The study aims at examining the impact of pre- and post-migration factors on the mental health of UYRs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of N = 131 young refugees (81.7% male, M = 16.9 years old) was conducted in 22 children and youth welfare service (CYWS) facilities in Germany. The participants provided information about preand post-flight experiences. Standardized measures were used to assess posttraumatic stress symptoms (CATS-2), symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Daily stressors were assessed with the Daily Stressors Scale for Young Refugees (DSSYR), sociocultural adaptation with the Brief Sociocultural Adaptation Scale (BSAS), satisfaction with social support with the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ6-G). Results: Our results demonstrated clinical levels of PTSS in 42.0% of the participants, depression in 29.0%, and anxiety in 21.4%. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that a higher number of traumatic events and social daily stressors predicted higher levels in all three domains of mental health problems. PTSS and anxiety were also predicted by the distress related to the residence status, depressive symptoms were additionally predicted by sociocultural adaptation, less family contact and length of stay. The satisfaction with social support was not a significant predictor in the regression models. Conclusion: Unaccompanied young refugees in CYWS facilities are a highly vulnerable population. As traumatic events, daily stressors and level of contact to family directly impacted UYRs mental health, interventions should be traumafocused, but also contain modules on how to cope with daily stressors. On the policy and practical level, stakeholders in host countries are called for establishing measures to reduce post-migration stressors and enhance support for UYRs on all levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Different acculturation strategies might be related to different mental health outcomes and social participation of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs), but little is known about which factors influence this acculturation process. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to examine the impact of individual, stress-related, and contextual factors on the acculturation process of URMs in Germany. Methods: A sample of N = 132 URMs living in child and youth welfare service facilities in Germany completed questionnaires about their acculturation orientation, traumatic experiences, daily stressors, asylum stress, and perceived social support between June 2020 and October 2021. This investigation is part of the multi-center randomized control trial BETTER CARE. Data were analyzed descriptively and via multiple hierarchical regression. Results: Integration (43.5%) and Assimilation (37.1%) were the most common acculturation strategies used by URMs. Multiple hierarchical regression models showed that daily stressors (e.g., the lack of money) were associated with a stronger orientation toward the home country, whereas traumatic events were associated with a weaker orientation toward their home country. No significant predictors were found for the orientation toward the host country. Discussion: Overall, URMs in Germany showed favorable acculturation strategies. Nevertheless, daily stressors and traumatic experiences might influence this process. The implications for practitioners and policymakers are discussed with a view to further improving the acculturation process of URMs in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex set of challenges that middle-aged adults encounter emphasizes a need for mental health interventions that promote resilience and positive outcomes. The present study evaluated whether an online, self-guided social intelligence training (SIT) program (8 h) improved midlife adults' daily well-being and emotion regulation in the context of their own naturalistic everyday environment. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 230 midlife adults allocated into either a SIT program or an attentional control (AC) condition that focused on healthy lifestyle education. Intent-to-treat analyses examined two bursts of 14-day daily surveys that participants completed pre- and post-treatment. Multilevel models evaluated pre-to post-treatment changes in mean positive and negative affect, as well as daily emotional reactivity to stressors and responsiveness to uplifts. Compared to the AC group, those in the SIT program reported improvements (i.e., decreases) in mean negative affect, positive emotional reactivity to daily stressors (i.e., smaller decreases in positive affect on stressor days), and negative emotional responsiveness to uplifts (i.e., lower negative affect on days without uplifts). Our discussion considers potential mechanisms underlying these improvements, highlights downstream effects on midlife functioning, and elaborates on how online delivery of the SIT program increases its potential for positive outcomes across adulthood. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03824353. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proactive coping involves efforts to prepare for future stressors and may have implications for physical responses to stress. We examined age differences in physical reactivity to daily stressors moderated by proactive coping in a coordinated analysis across two separate daily diary studies. Study 1 included data from 116 older (age range 60–90) and 107 younger (age range 18–36) adults on daily stressors and physical health symptoms for 8 consecutive days. Study 2 included data from 140 adults (age range 19–86) on daily stressors and self-rated physical health for 29 consecutive days. Participants in both studies reported on their proactive coping on the first day of the study. Physical reactivity was indexed via lagged multilevel models as increases in daily physical symptoms in Study 1 and decreases in daily physical health in Study 2 with corresponding increases in daily stressors. Results indicated that in both studies, younger adults with low proactive coping were more physically reactive to daily stressors compared to younger adults with high proactive coping. Proactive coping was associated with reduced physical reactivity to daily stressors among younger adults, consistent with the characterization of a high degree of control and ample opportunities at earlier phases of adulthood which are critical for accumulating resources to proactively cope.

IntroductionThere is growing recognition that daily stressors, such as social and material deficiencies, can be highly detrimental to the mental health of refugees. These stressors are in addition to stressful life events, which have been widely studied in the context of migration and forced displacement. Despite increasing evidence for an ecological model, there is still no consensus regarding the conceptualization of these highly influential factors. In particular, the demarcation of daily stressors from stressful life events and the categorization of daily stressors require further examination in order to develop usable and accurate tools for researchers, design effective interventions for practitioners and assist politicians in designing meaningful policies.MethodsTo address these challenges, we used data from a sample of 392 unaccompanied young refugees from diverse backgrounds and employed network analysis to examine the relationships between daily stressors, stressful life events, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress.ResultsOur findings highlight the significant relationship between daily stressors and mental health, particularly depression. Meaningful clusters of daily stressors include material stressors, social stressors, and social exclusion stressors.ConclusionOur results demonstrate the importance of considering daily stressors in the mental health of refugees and suggest that using a network approach offers a viable way to study these complex interrelationships. These findings have implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in understanding and addressing the mental health needs of refugees.

BackgroundDifferent acculturation strategies might be related to different mental health outcomes and social participation of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs), but little is known about which factors influence this acculturation process. Therefore, the aim of this investigation was to examine the impact of individual, stress-related, and contextual factors on the acculturation process of URMs in Germany.MethodsA sample of N = 132 URMs living in child and youth welfare service facilities in Germany completed questionnaires about their acculturation orientation, traumatic experiences, daily stressors, asylum stress, and perceived social support between June 2020 and October 2021. This investigation is part of the multi-center randomized control trial BETTER CARE. Data were analyzed descriptively and via multiple hierarchical regression.ResultsIntegration (43.5%) and Assimilation (37.1%) were the most common acculturation strategies used by URMs. Multiple hierarchical regression models showed that daily stressors (e.g., the lack of money) were associated with a stronger orientation toward the home country, whereas traumatic events were associated with a weaker orientation toward their home country. No significant predictors were found for the orientation toward the host country.DiscussionOverall, URMs in Germany showed favorable acculturation strategies. Nevertheless, daily stressors and traumatic experiences might influence this process. The implications for practitioners and policymakers are discussed with a view to further improving the acculturation process of URMs in Germany.Clinical Trial Registration: German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00017453 https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00017453. Registered on December 11, 2019.

BackgroundUnaccompanied young refugees (UYRs) show elevated levels of mental distress such as post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression, and anxiety. The individual post-arrival situation in the host country plays an important role in increasing or reducing mental health risks for these vulnerable children and youth. The study aims at examining the impact of pre- and post-migration factors on the mental health of UYRs.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of N = 131 young refugees (81.7% male, M = 16.9 years old) was conducted in 22 children and youth welfare service (CYWS) facilities in Germany. The participants provided information about pre- and post-flight experiences. Standardized measures were used to assess post-traumatic stress symptoms (CATS-2), symptoms of depression (PHQ-9), and anxiety (GAD-7). Daily stressors were assessed with the Daily Stressors Scale for Young Refugees (DSSYR), sociocultural adaptation with the Brief Sociocultural Adaptation Scale (BSAS), satisfaction with social support with the Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ6-G).ResultsOur results demonstrated clinical levels of PTSS in 42.0% of the participants, depression in 29.0%, and anxiety in 21.4%. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that a higher number of traumatic events and social daily stressors predicted higher levels in all three domains of mental health problems. PTSS and anxiety were also predicted by the distress related to the residence status, depressive symptoms were additionally predicted by sociocultural adaptation, less family contact and length of stay. The satisfaction with social support was not a significant predictor in the regression models.ConclusionUnaccompanied young refugees in CYWS facilities are a highly vulnerable population. As traumatic events, daily stressors and level of contact to family directly impacted UYRs mental health, interventions should be trauma-focused, but also contain modules on how to cope with daily stressors. On the policy and practical level, stakeholders in host countries are called for establishing measures to reduce post-migration stressors and enhance support for UYRs on all levels.

People experience stressors on 40% of days, and emotional responses to stressors increase the risk for poor health, in part by impacting health behaviors like physical activity (PA). However, whether associations of daily psychological stressors with PA after the self-reported stressor occurs (post-stressor PA) differ across working and non-working hours is unclear. This study used the National Study of Daily Experiences III (2017–2019) to examine within-person associations between stressors and post-stressor PA during working and non-working hours and moderation by age and biological sex. Participants completed interviews across eight consecutive days about daily stress and the amount and timing of PA participation during the past 24 hours. Multilevel models with days nested in people examined the within-person associations of stressors with the odds and amount of post-stressor PA participation, with separate models during versus outside of working hours on working days and for non-working days. Participants (N = 564) had higher odds of post-stressor PA during working hours when they experienced greater than usual anger (OR = 3.24, p <.001), sadness (OR = 2.41, p <.001), or shame (ORs = 2.59, p <.001) due to stress. Sex moderated the within-person associations between stressor frequency (OR = 0.29, p <.001), intensity (OR = 0.49, p <.001), and anxiety (OR = 0.58, p =.002) on odds of post-stressor PA during working hours, such that the increased odds were higher in males. Participants had higher odds of post-stressor PA outside of working hours when they experienced greater stress intensity, anger, sadness, shame, or anxiety (OR = 3.94–7.35, p <.001). Research clarifying how age, sex, and/or occupation intersect with individuals' daily stress experiences and PA could inform occupational health policies and/or interventions. • More negative stress emotions corresponded with greater odds of work activity. • Males had higher odds of work activity on days with more stressors. • Males had higher odds of work activity on days with more stress intensity and anxiety. • Greater stress intensity corresponded with greater odds of non-work activity. • Older people had higher odds of non-work activity on days with more stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some individuals may be at greater risk for encountering stressors in daily life than others, especially those with minority identities. Initial evidence shows that the disparities between cisgender heterosexual (CH) individuals and sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals on stress-related experiences may be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the daily stressors experienced by undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic (stressor exposure), the association between the experience of daily stress and same-day negative mood (stressor reactivity), and whether these varied between undergraduate students with SGM identities and their CH counterparts using a 14-day daily diary design. We did not find significant differences between SGM and CH groups on stressor exposure or stressor reactivity. One common feature of daily diary data is right censoring, which is when some individuals do not experience specific events during the study duration. We used multilevel survival analysis, which accounts for right censored data, to examine group differences in the risks of stressor exposure. We discuss the statistical issues involved when right-censored cases are not taken into consideration in studies of stressor exposure and propose multilevel survival analysis as one solution to move the field towards more accurately understanding whether, when, and why SGM individuals are at greater risk for stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Whereas previous work has almost exclusively focused on negative emotional reactivity to daily stressors, we focus on positive emotional reactivity - changes in positive emotions in response to a stressor. We examine daily forecasting and anticipatory coping for next-day home-related stressors within the temporal space before stressors to examine positive emotional reactivity in younger and older adults. Methods: We recruited 107 younger (M age = 19.44, range 18-36) and 116 older (M age = 64.71, range 60-90) participants who completed a nine day daily online diary for 1,627 total days. Participants reported demographics on Day 1 and then stressor forecasts, anticipatory coping, stressor exposure, and positive affect on Days 2-9. Results: Older adults had more positive affect when using outcome fantasy for next-day home stressors compared to younger adults, but forecasting a home stressor was associated with a stronger increase in positive affect for younger adults compared to older adults. Conclusion: These results reveal complex and dynamic links that exist in age differences in stressor forecasting, anticipatory coping, and their association with positive affect. The context of daily stressors is important to understand the nuances of matching stressor forecasts and anticipatory coping for positive emotional well-being in younger and older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proactive coping involves efforts to prepare for future stressors and may have implications for physical responses to stress. We examined age differences in physical reactivity to daily stressors moderated by proactive coping in a coordinated analysis across two separate daily diary studies. Study 1 included data from 116 older (age range 60–90) and 107 younger (age range 18–36) adults on daily stressors and physical health symptoms for 8 consecutive days. Study 2 included data from 140 adults (age range 19–86) on daily stressors and self-rated physical health for 29 consecutive days. Participants in both studies reported on their proactive coping on the first day of the study. Physical reactivity was indexed via lagged multilevel models as increases in daily physical symptoms in Study 1 and decreases in daily physical health in Study 2 with corresponding increases in daily stressors. Results indicated that in both studies, younger adults with low proactive coping were more physically reactive to daily stressors compared to younger adults with high proactive coping. Proactive coping was associated with reduced physical reactivity to daily stressors among younger adults, consistent with the characterization of a high degree of control and ample opportunities at earlier phases of adulthood which are critical for accumulating resources to proactively cope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have investigated the associations between community crime rates and affective well-being, and how that relationship may differ according to gender. Using data from the National Study of Daily Experiences and the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, the current study examined gender differences between daily affective experiences, crime rates, and perceptions of neighborhood safety. Although feeling unsafe in one's neighborhood was related to worse affective well-being (i.e., higher negative affect/lower positive affect) and larger affective responses to daily stressors, crime rates were not. Women's negative affect was more strongly tied to daily stressors, whereas men's was more strongly tied to lower perceived neighborhood safety. Findings reveal the importance of understanding factors, such as gender, that impact safety concerns beyond that from crime. They also suggest that increasing visibility within communities might dissuade perpetrators and enhance residents' feelings of safety., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Community Psychology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Previous research has shown the drastic impact of daily stressors on the mental health of unaccompanied young refugees (UYRs). This longitudinal study contributes to existing literature by distinguishing different kinds of daily stressors and examining their impact over time, in relation to stressful life events, legal status, and contact with family. We recruited N = 189 UYRs from diverse backgrounds in Greece, Italy, and Belgium, and conducted two additional waves of interviews, accompanying them for approximately 2 years on their migratory and settlement trajectories throughout Europe. Data were analyzed via growth curve modeling. Results showed that both material and social stressors have a long-term negative effect on anxiety and depression symptoms, while stressful life events only have a significant effect in the beginning of UYRs' trajectories. Having long-term documents and contact with family alleviate symptoms of depression. We discuss how these findings relate to previous research and what they imply for policy-makers and practitioners in the field. Public Policy Relevance Statement: In addition to trauma exposure, which has long been recognized as a threat to the mental health of unaccompanied young refugees, this study shows that the impact of daily stressors is increasingly severe after arrival in Europe. In contrast to especially harmful material stressors and experiences of racism and discrimination, our results point to the mental health benefits of having contact with family and long-term legal documents. Policies must therefore prioritize material, social and legal support and encourage inclusive practices to ensure the healthy development and integration of unaccompanied young refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID‐19 has contributed to unexpected stressors in daily life, and emotion regulation is an important area of research during and post‐pandemic to gain knowledge of the effect of the pandemic on emotion regulatory processes. We adopted an ecologically valid approach to collect 10 experience sampling events within the same day to examine how college students regulated their emotions on a typical weekday during the pandemic and the simultaneous hedonic association of these strategies on their affective experience. Several emotion regulation strategies (including acceptance, calming, reappraisal, problem solving, and social sharing) were associated with increased positivity or reduced negativity that may be better for psychological health. In contrast, other emotion regulation strategies (including rumination, experiential avoidance, catastrophizing, lack of clarity, self‐blaming, and other‐blaming) were associated with increased negativity or reduced positivity that may worsen psychological health. In these findings, self‐reported stress was a crucial contextual moderator to consider while understanding the relationship between emotion regulation strategies and experienced affect. The current study documents variability in affect in response to stressors experienced by college students even within a single day and provides a real‐world perspective on the emotion regulation strategies that were adaptive and maladaptive in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to chronic psychological stress across multiple life domains (multi-domain chronic burden) is associated with poor health. This may be because multi-domain chronic burden influences daily-level emotional processes, though this hypothesis has not been thoroughly tested.Purpose: The current study tested whether (a) multi-domain chronic burden is associated with greater exposure to daily stressors and (b) multi-domain chronic burden compounds negative affect on days with stressors compared to stressor-free days.Methods: The MIDUS Study (Wave II) and the National Study of Daily Experiences sub-study were conducted from 2004 to 2006 (N = 2,022). Participants reported on eight life domains of psychological stress used to create a multi-domain chronic burden summary score. For eight consecutive days, participants reported the daily occurrence of stressful events and daily negative affect.Results: Participants with greater multi-domain chronic burden were significantly more likely to report daily stressors. There was also a significant interaction between multi-domain chronic burden and daily stressors on negative affect: participants with higher multi-domain chronic burden had greater negative affect on stressor days than stressor-free days compared to those with lower multi-domain chronic burden.Conclusion: Participants with higher multi-domain chronic burden were more likely to report daily stressors and there was a compounding effect of multi-domain chronic burden and daily stressors on negative affect. These results suggest that experiencing a greater amount of psychological stress across multiple life domains may make daily stressors more toxic for daily affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundYoung people exposed to violence are at increased risk for mental health and behavioral problems. However, very little is known about the immediate, or same-day, associations between violence exposure and adolescents' mental health symptoms or whether daily symptom or behavioral reactivity marks future problems.MethodsYoung adolescents were assessed three times a day for 30 consecutive days using mobile-phone-based Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) (N = 151 adolescents). Over 12,500 assessments and 4,329 person days were obtained via the EMA. Adolescents were recruited from low-income neighborhoods based on parent-reported risk for externalizing symptoms. Mental health symptoms were assessed via parent and child report at baseline, multiple times per day via EMA assessments of the adolescents, and again 18 months later when 93% of the adolescents were reinterviewed.ResultsResults from multilevel models illustrated that young adolescents were more likely to experience symptoms of anger (OR = 1.74, CI: 1.31-2.30), depression (OR = 1.66, CI: 1.26-2.19), and conduct problems (OR = 2.63, CI: 1.71-4.04) on days that they were exposed versus not exposed to violence. Increases in depressive symptoms were also observed on days following violence exposure (OR = 1.46, CI: 1.09-1.97). Adolescents with the highest levels of violence exposure across the 30-day EMA were less behaviorally reactive to violence exposures in daily life, and heightened behavioral reactivity predicted increased risk for substance use across early adolescence.ConclusionsFindings support the need to focus on both the immediate and long-term associations between violence exposure and adolescents' mental health and behavior. Results also suggest that heightened behavioral reactivity during early adolescence may signal emerging substance use problems.

Objectives: Associations between awareness of one's own aging and wellbeing have received increasing attention in the field of gerontology over the last decade. The current study examines how between-person differences and within-person fluctuations of awareness of age-related change (AARC) relate to daily negative affect and vitality. Of key interest was the extent to which fluctuations in AARC moderated reactivity to stressor exposure. We predicted that higher positive perceptions of aging (AARC-gains) would buffer the relationship between daily stressors and negative affect/vitality. Conversely, we expected that higher negative perceptions (AARC-losses) may exacerbate the relationship between daily stressors and the outcome variables. Methods: Data were collected from a community-based sample of 152 Australian adults aged 53-86 (M D 69.18, SD D 5.73). For 10 consecutive days, participants completed surveys on their smartphones measuring daily stressors, AARC, and affect (positive and negative). Bayesian hierarchical linear models were used to examine whether AARC-gains and AARC-losses moderated within-person associations of daily stressors and affect (i.e., stress reactivity). Results: At the between-person level, higher AARC-gains was associated with lower negative affect and higher vitality, whereas those reporting higher AARC-losses scored higher on negative affect and lower on vitality. Withinperson variables revealed that on days when AARC-gains was higher and AARC-losses was lower, this corresponded with lower negative affect and higher vitality. There was no evidence in support of individual moderating effects of within-person AARC-losses or within-person AARC-gains on stress reactivity. A trend was evident in support of a three-way WP Stress severity x WP AARC-gains x WP AARC-losses interaction in the prediction of negative affect, indicating that on days when AARC-losses was higher, the association of stress severity with negative affect was weaker if AARCgains was higher. Follow-up analyses modeling quadratic stress severity revealed a trend suggesting an interaction of within-person stress severity and within-person AARC-losses. Discussion: Results indicate that both individual differences and short-term fluctuations in AARC are associated with daily negative affect and vitality. The results provided qualified support for a possible protective role of AARC-gains in the context of stress reactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sense of purpose has been associated with greater health and well-being, even in daily contexts. However, it is unclear whether effects would hold in daily life during COVID-19, when people may have difficulty seeing a path towards their life goals. Design: The current study investigated whether purposefulness predicted daily positive affect, negative affect, and physical symptoms. Participants (n = 831) reported on these variables during the first weeks of the COVID-19 response in North America. Main outcome measures: Participants completed daily surveys asking them for daily positive events, stressors, positive affect, negative affect, physical symptoms, and purposefulness. Results: Purposefulness at between- and within-person levels predicted less negative affect and physical symptoms, but more positive affect at the daily level. Between-person purposefulness interacted with positive events when predicting negative and positive affect, suggesting that purposeful people may be less reactive to positive events. However, between-person purposefulness also interacted with daily stressors, insofar that stressors predicted greater declines in positive affect for purposeful people. Conclusion: Being a purposeful person holds positive implications for daily health and well-being, even during the pandemic context. However, purposefulness may hold some consequences unique to the COVID-19 context, which merit attention in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Previous research shows that adults with children have poorer sleep overall than adults without children. Poorer sleep is associated with experiencing more frequent and severe stressors. The daily link between sleep and stressors may differ by parenting status; yet this potential difference has not been addressed, especially in nurses who provide care both at work and home. This study examined whether the sleep–stress relationship is stronger for nurses with children than those without. During 14 days of ecological momentary assessment, 60 hospital nurses (24 parents) reported their previous night's sleep characteristics upon waking. Three times daily, they also reported whether they encountered any stressors and how severe those stressors were. Associations were assessed at the within‐ and between‐person levels with parenting status as a between‐person moderator. After controlling for covariates, previous night's poorer sleep quality, lower sleep sufficiency, and shorter time in bed were associated with perceiving more frequent or severe stressors the following day. Some of these daily associations were moderated by parenting status, such that the sleep–stressor link was only significant for parents, with the magnitude of association being stronger for those with 2+ children relative to 1 child. These findings suggest that nurses with children are at greater risk for a stronger linkage between poorer sleep and greater stressor frequency and severity. A stronger sleep–stressor relationship could have compounding effects on health. Improving sleep in this group may be critical to reduce their stress and improve the quality of care across work and home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Daily stress plays a significant role in mental and physical health. Negative mood (e.g., hopelessness) and physical symptoms (e.g., headaches) are responses often associated with daily stressors. It is theorized that some people or populations are more vulnerable or reactive to daily stressors. We propose sexual orientation as one factor that is associated with daily stress exposure and reactivity.Purpose: To understand whether sexual minorities (SMs) differ from heterosexuals in their exposure and reactivity to general, non-sexual minority-specific stressors (e.g., arguments/disagreements, job concerns).Methods: We used daily diary data (n = 3,323 heterosexuals [52% identified as female and 85% identified as White]; n = 98 SMs [50% identified as female and 93% identified as White]) from the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE). Participants completed eight consecutive evening daily diary interviews (n days = 24,773; mean days completed = 7.24) and reported daily stress exposure and daily well-being. We used multilevel modeling as an approach to examine whether sexual orientation interacted with daily stressors to predict daily negative affect and physical health.Results: SMs tended to experience more daily stressors compared to heterosexuals; specifically, SMs reported at least one stressor on nearly half (48%) of the study days they completed, and heterosexuals reported at least one stressor on about two-fifths (41%) of the study days they completed. SMs also tended to experience more negative mood when they experienced a daily stressor compared to heterosexuals when they experienced a daily stressor.Conclusion: We emphasize the importance of SMs' exposure and reactivity to general daily stressors and the implications of our results for the day-to-day lives and health of SMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesAssociations between awareness of one’s own aging and wellbeing have received increasing attention in the field of gerontology over the last decade. The current study examines how between-person differences and within-person fluctuations of awareness of age-related change (AARC) relate to daily negative affect and vitality. Of key interest was the extent to which fluctuations in AARC moderated reactivity to stressor exposure. We predicted that higher positive perceptions of aging (AARC-gains) would buffer the relationship between daily stressors and negative affect/vitality. Conversely, we expected that higher negative perceptions (AARC-losses) may exacerbate the relationship between daily stressors and the outcome variables.MethodsData were collected from a community-based sample of 152 Australian adults aged 53–86 (M = 69.18, SD = 5.73). For 10 consecutive days, participants completed surveys on their smartphones measuring daily stressors, AARC, and affect (positive and negative). Bayesian hierarchical linear models were used to examine whether AARC-gains and AARC-losses moderated within-person associations of daily stressors and affect (i.e., stress reactivity).ResultsAt the between-person level, higher AARC-gains was associated with lower negative affect and higher vitality, whereas those reporting higher AARC-losses scored higher on negative affect and lower on vitality. Within-person variables revealed that on days when AARC-gains was higher and AARC-losses was lower, this corresponded with lower negative affect and higher vitality. There was no evidence in support of individual moderating effects of within-person AARC-losses or within-person AARC-gains on stress reactivity. A trend was evident in support of a three-way WP Stress severity × WP AARC-gains × WP AARC-losses interaction in the prediction of negative affect, indicating that on days when AARC-losses was higher, the association of stress severity with negative affect was weaker if AARC-gains was higher. Follow-up analyses modeling quadratic stress severity revealed a trend suggesting an interaction of within-person stress severity and within-person AARC-losses.DiscussionResults indicate that both individual differences and short-term fluctuations in AARC are associated with daily negative affect and vitality. The results provided qualified support for a possible protective role of AARC-gains in the context of stress reactivity.

ObjectiveThe study examined diurnal regulation of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) in association with daily stressors, adult day services (ADS) use, and other caregiving characteristics.MethodA sample of 165 family caregivers of individuals with dementia (IWD) completed an 8-day diary study. Caregivers provided 5 saliva samples across the 8 days. On some days, caregivers provided all or most of the care. On other days, their relative attended ADS for part of the day. A 3-level unconditional linear spline model was fit to describe the typical sAA diurnal rhythms. Predictors were then added to the unconditional model to test the hypotheses on ADS use and daily stressors.ResultsDaily ADS use did not have an effect on diurnal sAA regulation. However, controlling for daily ADS use, greater ADS use over the 8 days was associated with a more prominent rise between 30 min after wake-up and before lunch, and a more prominent decline between before lunch and late afternoon. Fewer ADS days were associated with a more flattened sAA diurnal rhythm. Additionally, greater daily care-related stressor exposures had a within-person association with lower sAA levels in the late afternoon. Care-related stressor exposures had significant within- and between-person associations with sAA diurnal slopes. Furthermore, daily positive experiences had a significant between-person association with sAA diurnal slopes.ConclusionsCaring for a disabled family member may heighten the vulnerability to potential physiological conditions. Respite from care stressors from ADS use may have some biobehavioral benefits on sAA regulations. (PsycINFO Database Record

Objectives: The specific objectives of the study are to examine the mental health (depression and anxiety) of the first generation of post-Taliban government and compare these measures with its preceding generation, and to assess war experience of the first generation of post-Taliban government. We also wanted to assess the daily stressors and their contribution to the mental health, and to assess mental health as a result of war experiences and daily stressors with respect to demographic measures such as sex, marital status, age, mother's age, birth order, and ethnicities. Methods: In a cross-sectional design, 621 high school students, were randomly selected to participate in the study to assess war experience, daily stressors, and mental health among the first generation of young adults under post-Taliban government. Results: The participants had 17.37 ± 0.9 mean years of ages, 94.8% of them were unmarried. Poor mental health was significantly associated with higher exposure to war, but not with the age of participants (P = 0.08). There was no association between war experiences and the age and ethnicity of our participants (p = 0.9, p = 0.7). Age differences were negligible for daily stressors too (P = 0.07). Daily stressors scores were higher for female than male students (P = 0.02). The majority of young adults surveyed, declared themselves in agreement with statements such as the security situation in Afghanistan makes me frustrated (56%), air pollution as a concern (41%), and not having anyone to talk about what is in their heart (28.8%). Gender differences were highly significant for mental health, as appraised by both The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL) –depression and HSCL-anxiety. Girls presented higher rates of depression, anxiety, and daily stressors than boys, and boys presented higher rates of war experiences than girls. Conclusion: War experience, daily stressors, and mental health were irrelevant with age, ethnicity and marital status. Factor such as being the first-born child of the family, higher reported war experiences, and daily stressors all negatively impact mental health. Alongside war and its direct effects, the existing socio-cultural context must be considered as a potential factor mediating the mental health of girls in Afghanistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study examines the concept of anticipatory coping diversity, reflected in the evenness and richness of anticipatory coping strategies. The overarching goal of this study is to show how individual differences in anticipatory coping diversity are associated with emotional, physical, and cognitive reactivity to daily stressors and to examine whether these dynamic characteristics might differ between younger and older adults. Methods 107 younger (M age = 19.44, range 18–36) and 116 older (M age = 64.71, range 60–90) participants reported on 1,627 total days via an online daily diary study. Participants reported baseline demographic information (Day 1) and anticipatory coping, stressor exposure, negative affect, physical symptoms, and memory failures (Days 2–9). Anticipatory coping diversity was indexed at the person level using Shannon's entropy to capture the evenness and richness of anticipatory coping strategies across stressors. Results People with more anticipatory coping diversity were less emotionally reactive, but more physically and cognitively reactive to daily stressors. Older adults exhibited less anticipatory coping diversity than younger adults, but the patterns of anticipatory coping diversity differences in reactivity appeared to be consistent across younger and older adults. Discussion Anticipatory coping diversity reflects a useful index within the stress process that is associated with benefits as well as costs. These findings bridge dispositional and contextual approaches to coping and highlight the importance of understanding how deployment of coping strategies is related to well-being across the adult life span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the contributions of parents' characteristics, normative stressors, coping strategies, and social support to psychological distress and neuroticism among 1000 Syrian refugees. The conditions of being older, mothers, partnered parents, and resettlement in Lebanon increased the risk of mental health problems. Mental health problems decreased with fathers' employment, large families, and time spent in the host country. Types of daily stressors had differential effects on psychological distress and neuroticism. While emotion-focused coping increased psychological distress and neuroticism, the use of problem-focused coping, and informational support reduced neuroticism. The clinical and policy implications of these conclusions were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Almost 900,000 Rohingya refugees currently reside in refugee camps in Southeastern Bangladesh. Prior to fleeing Myanmar, Rohingya experienced years of systematic human rights violations, in addition to other historical and more recent traumatic events such as the burning of their villages and murder of family members, friends and neighbors. Currently, many Rohingya struggle to meet basic needs in refugee camps in Bangladesh and face mental health-related concerns that appear linked to such challenges. The purpose of this study is to describe systematic human rights violations, traumatic events, daily stressors, and mental health symptoms and to examine relationships between these factors. Methods Cross-sectional data was collected from a representative sample of 495 Rohingya refugee adults residing in camps in Bangladesh in July and August of 2018. Results Respondents reported high levels of systematic human rights violations in Myanmar, including restrictions related to expressing thoughts, meeting in groups, travel, religious practices, education, marriage, childbirth, healthcare, and more. Events experienced in Myanmar included exposure to gunfire (99%), destruction of their homes (93%), witnessing dead bodies (92%), torture (56%), forced labor (49%), sexual assault (33%), and other events. More than half (61%) of participants endorsed mental health symptom levels typically indicative of PTSD, and more than two thirds (84%) endorsed levels indicative of emotional distress (symptoms of anxiety and depression). Historic systematic human rights violations, traumatic events, and daily stressors were associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress, as well as depression and anxiety. Respondents reported numerous stressors associated with current life in the camps in Bangladesh as well as previous stressors, such as harassment, encountered in Myanmar. Conclusions Findings underscore the impact of systematic human rights violations, targeted violence, and daily stressors on the mental health of Rohingya in Bangladesh. Those working with Rohingya should consider the role of such factors in contributing to poor mental health. This research has the potential to inform interventions targeting such elements. Future research should examine the relationships between mental health and human rights violations over time.

ObjectivesThe specific objectives of the study are to examine the mental health (depression and anxiety) of the first generation of post-Taliban government and compare these measures with its preceding generation, and to assess war experience of the first generation of post-Taliban government. We also wanted to assess the daily stressors and their contribution to the mental health, and to assess mental health as a result of war experiences and daily stressors with respect to demographic measures such as sex, marital status, age, mother's age, birth order, and ethnicities.MethodsIn a cross-sectional design, 621 high school students, were randomly selected to participate in the study to assess war experience, daily stressors, and mental health among the first generation of young adults under post-Taliban government.ResultsThe participants had 17.37 ± 0.9 mean years of ages, 94.8% of them were unmarried. Poor mental health was significantly associated with higher exposure to war, but not with the age of participants (P = 0.08). There was no association between war experiences and the age and ethnicity of our participants (p = 0.9, p = 0.7). Age differences were negligible for daily stressors too (P = 0.07). Daily stressors scores were higher for female than male students (P = 0.02). The majority of young adults surveyed, declared themselves in agreement with statements such as the security situation in Afghanistan makes me frustrated (56%), air pollution as a concern (41%), and not having anyone to talk about what is in their heart (28.8%). Gender differences were highly significant for mental health, as appraised by both The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL) –depression and HSCL-anxiety. Girls presented higher rates of depression, anxiety, and daily stressors than boys, and boys presented higher rates of war experiences than girls.ConclusionWar experience, daily stressors, and mental health were irrelevant with age, ethnicity and marital status. Factor such as being the first-born child of the family, higher reported war experiences, and daily stressors all negatively impact mental health. Alongside war and its direct effects, the existing socio-cultural context must be considered as a potential factor mediating the mental health of girls in Afghanistan.

Abstract: Although research suggests that psychosocial stress is associated with an increase in schizotypal symptoms, the type of stressor associated with increased symptomatology is unclear, and no study has examined whether social support might mitigate the effects of stress on symptom change. In this study, 131 young adults completed measures of schizotypal symptoms, major life events, daily hassles, and perceptions of social support at baseline, and measures of stress and symptoms again 4 to 6 weeks later. Results indicated, after controlling for baseline measures, that for those scoring low on schizotypal measures at baseline, only low levels of social support were associated with increased symptoms. For those scoring high on the schizotypal scales at baseline, however, both major life events and daily hassles were associated with increased symptomatology, but only when perceptions of social support at baseline were low. The results suggest that it is important to assess both perceptions of social support and baseline symptomatology when examining whether major life events and daily stress are associated with increased psychotic symptoms. Both types of psychosocial stress are associated with an increase in symptoms, but only for those who are already showing above average symptoms and only when social support is low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objectives: We examined how adolescents' sleep patterns (i.e. insomnia symptoms and sleep duration) change from early- to mid-adolescence and whether adolescents follow different trajectories. Furthermore, we also examined the characteristics of adolescents within different trajectories, with a specific focus on the role of school-related stress. Methods: We used three longitudinal waves of questionnaire data collected annually from a sample of Swedish adolescents (n = 1294; Mage = 13.2 [range: 12-15 years], SD = .42; 46.8% girls). Using established measures, the students reported on their sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, and perceived school-stress (including stress of school performance, peer and teacher relations, attendance, and school-leisure conflict). We used latent class growth analysis (LCGA) to identify adolescents' sleep trajectories, and the BCH method to describe the characteristics of the adolescents in each trajectory. Results: We found four trajectories for adolescents' insomnia symptoms; (1) low insomnia (69%), (2) low-increasing (17%, 'emerging riskgroup'), (3) high-decreasing (9%), (4) high-increasing (5%; 'risk-group'). For sleep duration, we found two trajectories; (1) ~8 h sufficient-decreasing (85%), (2) ~7 h insufficient- decreasing (15%; 'risk-group'). Adolescents in risk-trajectories were more likely to be girls and consistently reported higher levels of school stress, particularly regarding school performance and attending school. Conclusions: School stress was prominent among adolescents suffering from persistent sleep problems, especially insomnia, and deserves further attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neighborly cohesiveness has documented benefits for health. Furthermore, high perceived neighborhood cohesion offsets the adverse health effects of neighborhood socioeconomic adversity. One potential way neighborhood cohesion influences health is through daily stress processes. The current study uses participants (n = 2022, age 30-84 years) from The Midlife in the United States II and the National Study of Daily Experiences II, collected between 2004 and 2006, to examine this hypothesis using a within-person, daily diary design. We predicted that people who perceive high neighborhood cohesion are exposed to fewer daily stressors, such as interpersonal arguments, lower daily physical symptoms and negative affect, and higher daily positive affect. We also hypothesized that perceptions of neighborhood cohesion buffer decline in affective and physical well-being on days when daily stressors do occur. Results indicate that higher perceived neighborhood cohesion predicts fewer self-reported daily stressors, higher positive affect, lower negative affect, and fewer physical health symptoms. High perceived neighborhood cohesion also buffers the effects of daily stressors on negative affect, even after adjusting for other sources of social support. Results from the present study suggest interventions focusing on neighborhood cohesion may result in improved well-being and may minimize the adverse effect of daily stressors.

Research on the psychological impact of war on affected populations is important for the planning and provision of interventions. However, most studies that address the effects of political violence have been restricted to Western countries, and even after six years of civil war in Syria, there has been no study addressing its psychological impact on the general population. The present study used an online survey to examine the level of psychological symptoms and correlates of distress in a sample of 387 subjects from different areas of Syria. We used t -tests to compare symptoms across zones with different levels of war activity, and multiple regression models to identify predictors of distress. Results indicate a high level of psychological distress indicative of psychopathology in all regions across the country. Rates were higher in areas with more intensive exposure ('hot' zones). Greater symptom severity was associated with living in a hot zone, female gender, older age, the number of potentially traumatic events, daily stressors, and (low) perceived feeling of safety; whereas social support, religiosity, and religious coping were associated with lower levels of symptoms. The elevated levels of mental health problems and direct relation between the level of exposure to violence and poorer mental health point to the need for mental health services. Reducing daily stressors and ensuring safety could contribute significantly to better mental health, although this does not replace the need for evidence-based psychotherapy. The planning and delivery of psychological interventions by NGOs should be informed by issues related to stigma, lack of understanding and acceptance of psychological care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The definition of adjustment disorder (AjD) was recently revised by the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases. Thus far, only two studies explored stressors associated with symptoms of AjD according to the new definition, revealing that there might be a difference in associations with daily stressors compared to traumatic events. The present study aims at examining the associations of AjD with both types of stressors as well as the mediating role of psychological well-being that was previously suggested as a buffer against mental illness. Four hundred and 19 participants completed questionnaires assessing the prevalence of daily stressors and traumatic events experienced in the last 2 years, psychological well-being and the diagnostic criteria of AjD. Results revealed a direct effect of the prevalence of daily stressors on the diagnosis of AjD as well as the mediating effect of psychological well-being of this association. However, no effect was found for traumatic events on AjD or psychological well-being. Given these findings, psychological well-being should be regarded as a means to reduce the prevalence of AjD among individuals coping with multiple and continuous daily stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report findings pertaining to connections between social workers' exposure to daily stressors, the work benefits they receive, their levels of burnout and their well-being. We examined (i) the associations between social workers' perceived exposure to daily stressors and their well-being; (ii) the mediating effect of burnout on these associations; and (iii) the moderating effect of extrinsic and intrinsic work benefits on the relationships between perceived exposure to daily stressors and burnout. Participants were 486 social workers, working in various organisations and with diverse populations in Israel. Of the various findings, two are of particular interest. One is that workers' depersonalisation of their clients mediated the relationship between the workers' exposure to daily stressors and their psychological distress. The other is that neither intrinsic nor extrinsic work benefits weakened the association between workers' exposure to daily stressors and their burnout, in terms of personal accomplishment. On the contrary, high benefits of either kind strengthened this association. These unexpected findings are discussed within the frameworks of relationships between service users and service providers and of Wilensky's compensatory theory. While this study was based in Israel, its conclusions bear relevance to social workers in other countries as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study introduces a short screening instrument for the measurement of experienced general daily stressors across different life domains that can be used in large‐scale studies. The brief daily stressors screening tool (BDSST) assesses the experience of general daily stressors in eight distinct life domains. General daily stressors are indicated for the past 12‐months on a five‐point Likert scale. The present study evaluates the BDSST in two successive studies. The first study was conducted in a representative German sample (n = 7,849). The second study was conducted to assess one‐month‐retest‐stability in another representative German sample (n = 1,294). The BDSST shows promising psychometric properties. It has a skewed positive distribution, internal consistency and stability are acceptable and its one‐factor structure was confirmed in a bifactor confirmatory factor analysis. The BDSST is a reliable and valid short instrument for the assessment of experienced general daily stressors in large‐scale studies and routine clinical practise. For in‐depth clinical assessment, it can be used to identify relevant life domains for further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Investigating happiness among older adults is critical for enhancing quality of life among this growing segment of the population. Based on the stress, appraisal, and coping model, the present study examined how daily stressors and coping resources (optimism and social support) are related to happiness among older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Israel between February-July 2018. Participants were recruited through Internet forums and through direct contact with participants at meeting places for older adults. A convenience sample of 114 older adults completed measures of daily stressors, optimism, social support, happiness, and socio-demographic questionnaires. A hierarchical multiple regression was calculated with happiness as the dependent variable. Results: Happiness scorewas relatively moderate (Mean = 4.26, SD = 0.72, Range 1-7). In the regression model, after controlling for demographic variables, optimism and social support explained 58% of the variance in happiness. Optimism and social support also mediated the relationship between daily stressors and happiness. However, these two coping resources did not moderate the relationship between daily stressors and happiness. Conclusion: The study's findings indicate that improving happiness should be identified as a target for older adults and should be recognized as a crucial need. Our findings suggest that psychosocial interventions targeting coping resourcesmay help older adults improve their happiness. In particular, these interventions should concentrate on helping older adults reinforce their optimism and social support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aims of the present study were to examine whether daily stressors are associated with engagement in emotional support and whether these associations differ by gender. Analyses were conducted using Wave 2 of Midlife in the United States data and its subproject National Study of Daily Experiences. The sample consisted of adults aged 33 to 84 (N = 1,622). Using multinomial multilevel analysis, we looked at the associations between lagged and concurrent daily stressors with engagement in emotional support. For concurrent associations, people who experienced stressors were more likely to both give and receive, solely give, and solely receive emotional support compared with those who did not have any stressors. Women were more likely to engage in both giving and receiving of emotional support compared with men when they experienced stressors during the same day. In terms of the lagged associations, both men and women who experienced stressors during the previous day were more likely to both give and receive emotional support the next day compared with those who did not experience any stressors during the previous day. These results suggest that experiencing daily stressors facilitates giving and receiving of emotional support at daily level in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engagement in daily valued action is a core component of psychological well-being. Although valued action is a common target of cognitive-behavioral intervention, the degree to which it fluctuates at a daily level—and its predictors—remain relatively untested. Thus, the present daily diary study examined the influence of daily stress and intrapersonal resources such as mindfulness, meaning, and psychological flexibility on valued action among 122 undergraduates. Results of multilevel modeling revealed significant within-and between-person variance in daily valued action, predicted by daily fluctuations in stress as well as average stress across days, dispositional mindfulness, meaning, and psychological flexibility. Intrapersonal resources did not significantly buffer the effects of stress on valued action. Future research should continue to examine valued action in a multilevel framework, given the significant within-person variation in the present study. In the context of clinical interventions, acute stressors experienced outside of session may interfere with valued action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]