Stress and Health

doi: 10.1002/smi.3066pmid: N/A

No abstract is available for this article.

Ang, Wei How Darryl; Chew, Han Shi Jocelyn; Dong, Jie; Yi, Huso; Mahendren, Rathi; Lau, Ying

doi: 10.1002/smi.3154pmid: 35460533

Resilience is learnable and broadly described as an individual's adaptive coping ability, its potential value for stress reduction must be explored. With a global coronavirus pandemic, innovative ways to deliver resilience training amidst heightened mental health concerns must be urgently examined. This systematic review aimed to (1) evaluate the effectiveness of digital training for building resilience and reducing anxiety, depressive and stress symptoms and (2) to identify essential features for designing future digital training. A three‐step search was conducted in eight electronic databases, trial registries and grey literature to locate eligible studies. Randomised controlled trials examining the effects of digital training aimed at enhancing resilience were included. Data analysis was conducted using the Stata version 17. Twenty‐two randomised controlled trials involving 2876 participants were included. Meta‐analysis revealed that digital training significantly enhanced the participants' resilience with moderate to large effect (g = 0.54–1.09) at post‐intervention and follow‐up. Subgroup analyses suggested that training delivered via the Internet with a flexible programme schedule was more effective than its counterparts. This review supports the use of digital training in improving resilience. Further high‐quality randomised controlled trials with large sample size are needed.

Chen, Wei‐Ju; Johnson, Hanna B.; Nelson, Alese M.; Fleming, Raymond

doi: 10.1002/smi.3140pmid: 35246936

Studies of arousal and emotion show that generalized physiological arousal can enhance emotional experience for a range of different emotions. Other research shows that different emotions may be associated with specific patterns of physiological reactivity. Together these findings suggest that while nonspecific autonomic activation can be sufficient in the generation of emotion, specific patterns of reactivity may appear once the emotion is established. This study aimed to test this hypothesis by examining the effects of generalized arousal on emotional experience, as well as the physiological responses associated with positive and negative emotions. One hundred and nine participants either sat or stood during the viewing of positive and negative film clips while emotion ratings and cardiorespiratory measures were taken. Those who stood during the videos reported greater levels of emotion than those who sat, indicating that generalized arousal due to standing heightened emotional experience. In addition, participants exhibited greater high‐frequency heart rate variability and lower respiration rate during the negative video than the positive video, indicating that physiological reactivity differed between the positive and negative emotions. These results suggest that while patterns of physiological reactivity may be specific to individual emotions, nonspecific arousal is sufficient to enhance diverse emotions.

Ho, Samuel; Cook, Kaye V.; Chen, Zhuo Job; Kurniati, Ni Made Taganing; Suwartono, Christiany; Widyarini, Nilam; Wong, Paul T. P.; Cowden, Richard G.

doi: 10.1002/smi.3139pmid: 35244330

Research on the subjective experience of suffering has typically focussed on older clinical samples living in Western, educated, industrialised, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) countries. To further extend the existing body of empirical research on suffering to less WEIRD contexts, we use three waves of data (Wave 1: December 2020; Wave 2: January 2021; Wave 3: February 2021) from a sample of nonclinical Indonesian adults (n = 594) to examine associations between suffering, two indices of psychological distress, and 10 facets of well‐being. In our primary analysis, we estimated a series of multiple regression models that adjusted for a range of sociodemographic characteristics, financial and material stability, religious/spiritual factors, prior values of overall suffering, and prior values of each outcome assessed in Wave 1. Results indicated that overall suffering assessed in Wave 2 was associated with an increase in both indices of psychological distress and a decrease in eight facets of well‐being assessed in Wave 3. Using a similar analytic approach, results from a secondary analysis indicated that higher scores on both indices of psychological distress and lower scores on seven of the well‐being facets assessed in Wave 2 were associated with worse subsequent overall suffering assessed in Wave 3. These findings contribute to empirical literature on the implications of suffering for well‐being.

Paucsik, Marine; Leys, Christophe; Marais, Gabriel; Baeyens, Céline; Shankland, Rebecca

doi: 10.1002/smi.3142pmid: 35286765

Doctoral students face many challenges that were reinforced by COVID‐19‐related lockdowns. We assessed this impact over 1 year on doctoral students' depression, anxiety, stress, well‐being, and doctoral engagement. We also investigated the potential protective role of self‐compassion and savouring on mental health, well‐being, and doctoral engagement. A total of 134 PhD students from several French universities responded to the three‐time points of this longitudinal study. The results showed a significant increase in depression, anxiety and stress and a significant decrease in well‐being and doctoral engagement during the first year of the pandemic. Self‐compassion and savouring predicted lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and higher levels of well‐being over time. Savouring alone predicted higher doctoral engagement over time. This study reveals the significant impact of the pandemic year on the mental health of doctoral students, and the relevance of self‐compassion and savouring as psychological resources to cope with adversity.

Falon, Samantha Leigh; Hoare, Scott; Kangas, Maria; Crane, Monique Frances

doi: 10.1002/smi.3141pmid: 35266279

Research has demonstrated that adaptive forms of self‐reflection on stressor events and insight may strengthen resilient capacities. However, the coping insights that emerge during self‐reflection are notoriously under‐researched. In this research, we sought to explore the evidence for the self‐reflective activities and coping insights drawn from the Self‐Reflection and Coping Insight Framework and find evidence of new reflections or insights not captured within the framework. Qualitative analysis was used to examine weekly, written self‐reflective journals completed by Officer Cadets involved in a randomised‐controlled trial of Self‐Reflection Resilience Training. Sixty‐eight Officer Cadets who submitted their journals for analysis were included. Journals were analysed using a deductive thematic approach. Findings revealed that self‐reflective activities occurred frequently over the course of the intervention. Coping insights were comparatively less frequent, but conveyed complex ideas about the self in the context of stressor exposure, broad principles about stress and coping, and nuanced interpretations regarding the interaction between the efficacy of coping approaches and broader contextual and intrapersonal factors. These findings demonstrate the critical role of coping insight during Self‐Reflection Resilience Training, with implications for developing a validated self‐report measure of self‐reflective activity and coping insight.

Ballesio, Andrea; Zagaria, Andrea; Musetti, Alessandro; Lenzo, Vittorio; Palagini, Laura; Quattropani, Maria Catena; Vegni, Elena; Bonazza, Federica; Filosa, Maria; Manari, Tommaso; Freda, Maria Francesca; Saita, Emanuela; Castelnuovo, Gianluca; Plazzi, Giuseppe; Lombardo, Caterina; Franceschini, Christian

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Hu, Xinyu (Judy); Subramony, Mahesh

doi: 10.1002/smi.3146pmid: 35332678

Drawing from conservation of resource theory and the social support resource theory, this study examines how the severity of an exogenous disruptive event – the COVID‐19 pandemic – in one's community influences teleworkers' well‐being outcomes indirectly through their perceptions of pandemic‐related threat and experience of professional isolation, as well as the buffering effect of friendship on these relationships. Utilizing time‐lagged data from participants of a two‐wave survey panel (N = 351) and objective data of COVID‐19 severity from counties around the United States, we found that perceived threat, but not professional isolation, mediated the negative effect of proportion of confirmed COVID‐19 cases in the community on teleworkers' well‐being outcomes. Further, consistent with our predictions, support from friends significantly weakened the negative effects of threat and professional isolation on well‐being. Key theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Sharouni, Taylor‐Jane; McClymont, Rachel G.; Alcorn, Christopher; Rebar, Amanda L.; Law, Kwok Hong; Jackson, Ben; Caltabiano, Nerina; Dimmock, James A.

doi: 10.1002/smi.3145pmid: 35332663

Self‐affirmations—responding to self‐threatening information by reflecting on positive values or strengths—help to realign working self‐concept and may support adaptive coping and wellbeing. Little research has been undertaken on spontaneous self‐affirmations in response to everyday threats, and less has been undertaken on the relationships between spontaneous self‐affirmations, coping, and wellbeing. This study aimed to test both within‐ and between‐person relationships between spontaneous self‐affirmations, coping, and wellbeing, controlling for threat intensity and other outcomes. A repeated survey assessment design was adopted to achieve these aims. Outcome measures included approach coping, avoidance coping, positive affect, negative affect, and eudaimonic wellbeing. It was found that spontaneous self‐affirmations positively predicted approach coping and positive affect at both within‐ and between‐person levels, and eudaimonic wellbeing at the between‐person level. Overall, spontaneous self‐affirmations were positively associated with approach coping and aspects of wellbeing.

Kozina, Ana; Peras, Igor; Veldin, Manja; Pivec, Tina

doi: 10.1002/smi.3147pmid: 35338675

In addition to COVID‐19 being a health threat, its longevity and restrictions act as significant stressors and risk for mental health. In the current study, we take a look at how psychological response, both its positive aspects, for example, mental well‐being and life satisfaction, and its negative aspects, for example, anxiety and COVID‐19 anxiety, have changed as the pandemic has continued (first three waves in Slovenia). Additionally, we are interested in whether the psychological response is associated with the perception of stress level in waves 2 and 3 as less, equally or more stressful when compared to the stress level in wave 1 and what shapes these perceptions. An online questionnaire battery (COVID‐19 stress level comparison, Warwick‐Edinburgh Mental Well‐being Scale; LAOM Anxiety Scale; Global Life Satisfaction scale; COVID‐19 anxiety), with ANOVA and qualitative analysis of the open‐ended question on reasons for perceiving wave 2 and wave 3 as more stressful when compared to wave 1, was used on a Slovene convenience adult sample (wave 1: N = 364, 83.5% female; wave 2: N = 987, 85.5% female; wave 3: N = 467, 78.5% female). The findings show (a) a significant increase in COVID‐19 anxiety from wave 1 to wave 3, with a peak in wave 2, and a significant decrease in mental well‐being from wave 1 to wave 3; (b) the level of anxiety, mental well‐being, and life satisfaction differs significantly between individuals who perceive wave 2 and 3 as more stressful compared to individuals who perceive wave 2 and wave 3 as equally or less stressful when compared to wave 1; (c) reasons for perceiving the succeeding waves of the pandemic as more stressful compared to wave 1 are diverse, with some being reported in both succeeding waves (e.g., negative emotional response to the pandemic, negative perceptions of measures). The findings highlight the important role of stress analysis in identifying the support mechanisms for dealing with the challenges of the COVID‐19 pandemic.