Behavioral Sciences

Research

16 pages, 776 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Shield of Self-Esteem: Buffering against the Impact of Traumatic Experiences, Fear, Anxiety, and Depression

by Alessandro Alberto Rossi, Silvia Francesca Maria Pizzoli, Isabel Fernandez, Roberta Invernizzi, Anna Panzeri, Federica Taccini and Stefania Mannarini

Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(10), 901; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14100901 - 4 Oct 2024

Viewed by 2688

Abstract

Background: Adverse life occurrences (e.g., severe accidents, violence/abuse, organic disorders such as COVID-19) can elicit traumatic responses that heighten fear, anxiety, and depression. However, scientific research has shown that certain variables, such as self-esteem, based on theories like terror management theory (TMT) and [...] Read more.

Background: Adverse life occurrences (e.g., severe accidents, violence/abuse, organic disorders such as COVID-19) can elicit traumatic responses that heighten fear, anxiety, and depression. However, scientific research has shown that certain variables, such as self-esteem, based on theories like terror management theory (TMT) and the anxiety-buffering hypothesis (ABH), can mitigate the negative effects of trauma. This study aimed to test the ABH by assessing the buffering role of self-esteem in the relationships among the impact of traumatic experiences, fear, anxiety, and depression. Method: An observational research design was used. This study involved 321 participants who experienced COVID-19 as a traumatic experience. A sequential multiple-mediation model with observed variables (path analysis) was used to test the impact of the traumatic experience on fear, anxiety, and depression, examining the protective role of self-esteem. Results: A path analysis revealed that fear and anxiety mediated the relationship between the impact of the traumatic experience of COVID-19 and depression. Additionally, in line with the ABH, self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship between the predictors and their adverse psychological consequences. This suggests that self-esteem played a buffering role, mitigating the negative impact of traumatic experiences on mental health outcomes. Conclusions: These findings underscore the central mediating role of self-esteem, as well as fear and anxiety, in the pathway from trauma-related factors to depression. These insights advocate for evidence-based interventions aimed at alleviating the psychological suffering associated with traumatic experiences, fostering adaptation, and supporting psychological health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emotional Well-Being and Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Crisis)

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15 pages, 1493 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mental Health and (Online) Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain: A Network-Based Approach

by Maribel Serrano-Macias and Javier Alvarez-Galvez

Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 735; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14090735 - 23 Aug 2024

Viewed by 765

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the increase in mortality and morbidity rates globally, but it has also led to a generalized worsening of mental health and risk behaviors in different population groups regardless of the measures adopted by different governments. In this [...] Read more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the increase in mortality and morbidity rates globally, but it has also led to a generalized worsening of mental health and risk behaviors in different population groups regardless of the measures adopted by different governments. In this paper, using data from a Spanish survey of emotional well-being, we aim to explore through mixed graphical models the complex structure of relationships between the mental health of populations, their lifestyles, and forms of cultural and leisure consumption during the pandemic. The results bring to light some interesting findings, such as the association between teleworking and greater rest or greater stress with the use of social media, a variable that enables the connection with other mental health problems of greater severity. Increased physical activity and the consumption of streaming content at home, as well as increased care for family, friends, and neighbors, are some of the variables that show relevant associations. These findings highlight the usefulness and versatility of this network approach for the study of health behaviors and health outcomes, which offer the researcher a holistic and organic view of the relational structure of complex data characterized by high dimensionality and variables with different levels of measurement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emotional Well-Being and Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Crisis)

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17 pages, 756 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Emotional Regulation, Coping, and Resilience in Informal Caregivers: A Network Analysis Approach

by Anna Panzeri, Gioia Bottesi, Marta Ghisi, Cecilia Scalavicci, Andrea Spoto and Giulio Vidotto

Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 709; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14080709 - 13 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2161

Abstract

Public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic can further strain the mental health of informal caregivers who provide unpaid assistance to family members or friends who need support due to illness, disability, or aging. However, there is a lack of research exploring [...] Read more.

Public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic can further strain the mental health of informal caregivers who provide unpaid assistance to family members or friends who need support due to illness, disability, or aging. However, there is a lack of research exploring the resources and adaptive strategies that promote resilience in informal caregivers. This cross-sectional study used psychometric network analysis to model the interplay between coping strategies, emotion regulation, trait resilience, and anxiety and depression symptoms in 351 Italian informal caregivers. The results showed that coping through a positive attitude, emotional reappraisal, and trait resilience were the most central and interconnected nodes in the network. These adaptive strategies buffered against the negative impact of anxiety and depression symptoms, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying resilience and well-being in informal caregivers. Clinically, it is crucial to assess and foster these resilience-promoting factors (positive attitude coping, cognitive reappraisal, and trait resilience) to help mitigate the mental health challenges faced by informal caregivers, especially in the context of public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emotional Well-Being and Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Crisis)

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14 pages, 610 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Medical Professionalism and Its Association with Dropout Intention in Peruvian Medical Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Dante E. Hancco-Monrroy, Luz M. Caballero-Apaza, Denices Abarca-Fernández, Jesus M. Castagnetto, Fany A. Condori-Cardoza, Raul De-Lama Moran, Jose R. Carhuancho-Aguilar, Sandra Gutierrez, Martha Gonzales, Nancy Berduzco, Roberto C. Delgado Bolton, Montserrat San-Martín and Luis Vivanco

Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(8), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14080641 - 25 Jul 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1327

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges to medical education systems and medical students worldwide, making it necessary to adapt teaching to a remote methodology during the academic year 2020–2021. The aim of this study was to characterize the association between medical professionalism [...] Read more.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced unprecedented challenges to medical education systems and medical students worldwide, making it necessary to adapt teaching to a remote methodology during the academic year 2020–2021. The aim of this study was to characterize the association between medical professionalism and dropout intention during the pandemic in Peruvian medical schools. Methods: A cross-sectional online-survey-based study was performed in four Peruvian medical schools (two public) during the academic year 2020–2021. Medical students, attending classes from home, answered three scales measuring clinical empathy, teamwork, and lifelong learning abilities (three elements of medical professionalism) and four scales measuring loneliness, anxiety, depression, and subjective wellbeing. In addition, 15 demographic, epidemiological, and academic variables (including dropout intention) were collected. Variables were assessed using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results: The study sample was composed of 1107 students (390 male). Eight variables were included in an explanatory model (Nagelkerke-R² = 0.35). Anxiety, depression, intention to work in the private sector, and teamwork abilities showed positive associations with dropout intention while learning abilities, subjective wellbeing, studying in a public medical school, and acquiring a better perception of medicine during the pandemic showed a negative association with dropout intention. No association was observed for empathy. Conclusions: Each element measured showed a different role, providing new clues on the influence that medical professionalism had on dropout intention during the pandemic. This information can be useful for medical educators to have a better understanding of the influence that professionalism plays in dropout intention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emotional Well-Being and Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Crisis)

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22 pages, 1662 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Pharmaceutical Companies’ Social Media Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on the Public

by Sotirios Gyftopoulos, George Drosatos, Giuseppe Fico, Leandro Pecchia and Eleni Kaldoudi

Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14020128 - 9 Feb 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2014

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, a period of great turmoil, was coupled with the emergence of an “infodemic”, a state when the public was bombarded with vast amounts of unverified information from dubious sources that led to a chaotic information landscape. The excessive flow of [...] Read more.

The COVID-19 pandemic, a period of great turmoil, was coupled with the emergence of an “infodemic”, a state when the public was bombarded with vast amounts of unverified information from dubious sources that led to a chaotic information landscape. The excessive flow of messages to citizens, combined with the justified fear and uncertainty imposed by the unknown virus, cast a shadow on the credibility of even well-intentioned sources and affected the emotional state of the public. Several studies highlighted the mental toll this environment took on citizens by analyzing their discourse on online social networks (OSNs). In this study, we focus on the activity of prominent pharmaceutical companies on Twitter, currently known as X, as well as the public’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic. Communication between companies and users is examined and compared in two discrete channels, the COVID-19 and the non-COVID-19 channel, based on the content of the posts circulated in them in the period between March 2020 and September 2022, while the emotional profile of the content is outlined through a state-of-the-art emotion analysis model. Our findings indicate significantly increased activity in the COVID-19 channel compared to the non-COVID-19 channel while the predominant emotion in both channels is joy. However, the COVID-19 channel exhibited an upward trend in the circulation of fear by the public. The quotes and replies produced by the users, with a stark presence of negative charge and diffusion indicators, reveal the public’s preference for promoting tweets conveying an emotional charge, such as fear, surprise, and joy. The findings of this research study can inform the development of communication strategies based on emotion-aware messages in future crises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emotional Well-Being and Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Crisis)

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12 pages, 1619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Breaking (Fake) News: No Personal Relevance Effect on Misinformation Vulnerability

by Francesco Ceccarini, Pasquale Capuozzo, Ilaria Colpizzi and Corrado Caudek

Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(11), 896; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13110896 - 30 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1851

Abstract

The massive spread of fake news (FN) requires a better understanding of both risks and protective psychological factors underlying vulnerability to misinformation. Prior studies have mostly dealt with news that do not bear any direct personal relevance to participants. Here, we ask whether [...] Read more.

The massive spread of fake news (FN) requires a better understanding of both risks and protective psychological factors underlying vulnerability to misinformation. Prior studies have mostly dealt with news that do not bear any direct personal relevance to participants. Here, we ask whether high-stakes news topics may decrease vulnerability to FN. Data were collected during the national lockdown in Italy (COVID-19 news) and one year later (political news). We compared truth discrimination and overall belief for true news (TN) and FN concerning COVID-19 and political topics. Our findings indicate that psychological risk and protective factors have similar effects on truth discrimination, regardless of whether the news topic is highly or minimally personally relevant. However, we found different effects of psychological factors on overall belief, for high and low personal relevance. These results suggest that, given a high level of cognitive dissonance, individuals tend to rely on proximal or emotional sources of information. In summary, our study underscores the importance of understanding the psychological factors that contribute to vulnerability to misinformation, particularly in high-stakes news contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emotional Well-Being and Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Crisis)

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18 pages, 728 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Path Model Analysis of the Effects of Perceived Formalism, and Fear of COVID-19 on Police Officers’ PTSD and Insomnia

by Frank Fu-Yuan Huang and Hsiang-Te Liu

Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(10), 867; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13100867 - 23 Oct 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1739

Abstract

This study examines whether law enforcement officers’ fear of COVID-19, job burnout, and job stress have increased their PTSD and insomnia during the epidemic. This article introduces the perceived formalism of police agencies into the causal model to explore whether perceived formalism increases [...] Read more.

This study examines whether law enforcement officers’ fear of COVID-19, job burnout, and job stress have increased their PTSD and insomnia during the epidemic. This article introduces the perceived formalism of police agencies into the causal model to explore whether perceived formalism increases the job burnout and job stress of police officers. The formalism of administrative agencies is rarely included in epidemic research. This study collected 306 Taiwanese police officers as research subjects. We used confirmatory factor analysis and SEM for hypothesis testing. The study found that perceived formalism positively affects the job burnout and job stress of police officers. Job stress, fear of COVID-19, and job burnout positively affect PTSD and insomnia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emotional Well-Being and Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Crisis)

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12 pages, 289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

COVID-19—Evidence of the Impact of Literacy and Salutogenic Behaviours in Positive Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Cláudia Almeida, André Novo, Maria Lluch Canut, Carme Ferré-Grau and Carlos Sequeira

Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(10), 845; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13100845 - 16 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1442

Abstract

Positive mental health is defined as the ability to perceive and interpret the context of a situation and to adapt to it whenever necessary. Considering the pandemic situation, identifying the factors that may have the greatest impact on quality of life and consequently, [...] Read more.

Positive mental health is defined as the ability to perceive and interpret the context of a situation and to adapt to it whenever necessary. Considering the pandemic situation, identifying the factors that may have the greatest impact on quality of life and consequently, on positive mental health is paramount. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of health literacy on the adoption of behaviours that promote positive mental health during COVID-19. A descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted on a sample of 770 patients using a questionnaire for sociodemographic characterization, the Positive Mental Health Questionnaire and the Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire. Concerning health-promoting behaviours, those who sleep enough hours, exercise regularly, eat healthy and are more aware of mental health promotion activities, or have greater mental health literacy, have higher positive mental health scores. Thus, having more knowledge of mental health and adopting health-promoting behaviours improve positive mental health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emotional Well-Being and Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Crisis)

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