Psych, Volume 4, Issue 3 (September 2022) – 19 articles

(1) Background: the COVID-19 pandemic is still taking over the world, and with new virus strains, the burden on the health systems and healthcare teams is yet to end. The study explored stress and employed resilient coping measures among nurses working with COVID-19 patients. (2) Methods: the current study used a convergent triangulation design using a qualitative and quantitative approach, with a sample of 113 nurses working at Beni-Suef University Hospital between November 2021 and April 2022 using an online form. Data were collected using a sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire, the Nursing Stress Scale, Brief Resilient Coping Scale, and a qualitative interview. (3) Results: the studied nurses experienced severe stress, with moderate-to-low resilient coping in total. There was a strong negative highly statistically significant correlation between stress and coping. Qualitative data analysis showed that attention to the spiritual side, communicating with friends and family, accepting the current situation, and helping others in need were key themes that emerged to moderate studied nurses’ stress. (4) Conclusions: nurses who work with COVID-19 patients experience high levels of stress regardless of their characteristics; spiritual coping strategies, communication with family, and helping others were the dominant resilient coping approaches employed by nurses to moderate stress. Full article

(1) Background: Studies have shown that healthcare workers have an increased chance of developing post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, funeral directors have not yet been studied, despite facing many of the same possible causes of PTSS as healthcare workers. (2) Methods: An online survey was spread to directors of funeral home organization DELA in Belgium (n = 287). The validated scale PCL-5 was used to assess PTSS. Additionally, fear of being infected, fear of infecting family or friends and demographic factors (age, gender, living situations, work experience) were asked. Respondents were asked to indicate if they thought of the COVID-19 period when completing the PCL-5. In addition, with a self-made question, respondents were also asked to compare their current stress-levels with those before COVID-19. (3) Results: 107 respondents were included in the study. Thirteen respondents were above the threshold for possible PTSD-diagnosis, but only four fulfilled the criteria of completing the PCL-5 with COVID-19 in mind. PTSS-scores were significantly associated with a fear of being infected (p = 0.006). Almost a majority (49.5%) of the respondents felt more stress during the period of completing the survey than the period before COVID-19, though 33.6% felt no change. (4) Conclusions: Though the PTSS-symptom rates were lower than for healthcare workers, this study does show that there should be attention for the mental health of funeral directors in the aftermath of COVID-19. Full article

(1) Background: This study aimed to explore the dynamics of meaning-making among drug addicts during drug addiction recovery by using a case study approach. The participants were five male recovering addicts, aged 26 to 49 years, who had been abstinent for 4 to 17 years; (2) Methods: Data collection consisted of in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Questionnaire, Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), Beck’s Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and recovery stage criteria based on the Developmental Model of Recovery (DMR). (3) Results: The results showed that meaning making was an ongoing process before and during the use of drugs and recovery. Drug use was a coping strategy to overcome distress caused by ACE, which was perceived as a stressful event and brought up an implicit meaning of ACE. This initial meaning played an essential role in initiating the dynamics of the subsequent meaning-making process. A similar mechanism using non-constructive adaptation processes other negative impacts of drug use. They created more distress and developed false-positive beliefs, which resulted in continued drug use. Symptoms of depression occur during drug use, which drags the addict to the lowest point in life (hitting rock bottom), and addicts perceive it as a turning point for seeking treatment and attaining recovery. In complete recovery, reappraising the meaning of the stressors experienced throughout life makes new constructive meaning. Creating a constructive meaning of earliest traumatic experiences played an important role in preventing relapse and ensuring the success of recovery from drug addiction. Full article

Research has revealed that both cognitive factors, such as knowledge, problem solving strategies and affective factors, such as motivation and emotions, strongly influence mathematical problem solving. However, few studies have examined the content specificity and generality of the relationship between mathematical problem solving and affective factors. This study examines the content specificity and generality of the relationship between mathematical problem solving, task value, math anxiety and engagement among high school students. Japanese second-year high school students (n = 240) completed questionnaires. The multilevel structural equation modelling revealed that utility value for entrance examinations and emotional engagement positively affected mathematical problem solving via cognitive engagement between various contents level. Emotional engagement positively affected mathematical problem solving via cognitive engagement within a certain content level. The results suggest that promoting the perception that learning mathematics has high utility value for university entrance examinations across various contents can increase students’ cognitive engagement and, therefore, improve mathematical problem solving. Furthermore, both increasing students’ emotional engagement only when they learn certain content and consistently increasing it may improve cognitive engagement and, therefore, allow learners to better solve mathematical problems. The study’s findings have significant implications for educational practice and mathematical problem-solving research. Full article

(1) Background: Climate change is a major threat to human health and new research is highlighting its effects on physical health. However, there is still little research on the psychological effects, particularly on young people, who seem to be disproportionately affected. (2) Objectives: In this context, we conducted a study focusing on the young adult population to identify psychosocial and behavioral factors that may modulate the intensity of this anxiety. (3) Method: A cross-sectional study by questionnaire was carried out on a sample of 369 young French adults. Data were analyzed via structural equation modelling. (4) Results: The main results suggest that: (1) CFC and information seeking predict climate anxiety, which in turn predicts the emotional consequences of exposure to information about the negative consequences of climate change; (2) information seeking moderates the effects of CFC on climate anxiety. (5) Conclusions: This study highlights both the role of temporal orientation and information seeking on the climate anxiety experienced by young adults. These results provide an interesting lever for health professionals to work with this population who may be more vulnerable to climate anxiety than others. Full article

Anxiety, depression, and psychological stress were the most common mental health issues that surfaced during and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. The aim of this paper is to investigate the psychological impact of the second COVID-19 lockdown on the Greek population. A cross-sectional anonymous study was designed, which measured perceived stress, depression symptoms, physical activity, and quality of life. The sample was collected during the period of the second lockdown and consisted of 330 adult individuals (219 females and 111 males) with a mean age of 34.3 years, who were located in Greece. Four scales were applied to measure the constructs, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The main findings suggest that depression and perceived stress were more prevalent during the second lockdown compared to previous time periods. The psychological impact was elevated for women and younger individuals. Unemployed people dealt with more stress compared to full-time working individuals. The two quality-of-life domains, physical and psychological health, were negatively correlated with perceived stress and depression. We suggest targeted interventions in order to support the most vulnerable groups and enhance their well-being. Full article

Background: The pandemic has highlighted the crucial role of nurses in health services. Nurses work at the forefront of the healthcare system, provide infection control training, and help reduce the spread of misinformation about the pandemic. Inclusive leaders create psychological safety that improves motivation and boosts job performance. Aim: To explore the effect of nurse managers’ inclusive leadership style on nurses’ psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Egyptian hospitals. Method: This was a quasi-experimental study. The study subjects consisted of two groups: managers (171) and staff nurses (1573). The study was conducted in four hospitals (one university hospital, one private hospital, one therapeutic institution, and one health insurance hospital). Three tools were used for collecting data (Inclusive Leader Questionnaire, Nurse Managers’ Knowledge about Inclusive Leadership, and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale). Results: In total, 67.25% of staff nurses perceived their nurse managers as poor inclusive leaders, and only 12.86% perceived them as good inclusive leaders. Regarding nurse managers’ knowledge about inclusive leadership, 76.023% had unsatisfactory knowledge levels before awareness sessions, and only 7.017% had a satisfactory level compared to after awareness sessions, when the majority of them had satisfactory knowledge levels. Furthermore, before awareness sessions, staff nurses experienced mild to moderate psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, and only 8.2% were severe. After awareness sessions, 58.55% of them experienced mild psychological distress, and others became well (25.8%). Conclusions: Nurse managers lack knowledge about inclusive leadership before conducting awareness sessions. The majority of staff nurses perceived their nurse managers as poor inclusive leaders. Satisfactory knowledge levels among nurse managers after awareness sessions improved nurses’ psychological distress. Finally, there were strong, statistically significant positive correlations between inclusive leadership and nurses’ psychological distress. Full article

This systematic review’s primary aim is to examine the interventional studies on the mental health of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the secondary aim is to determine the interventions that can be planned for future pandemics. For this, databases were searched, and a total of 12 studies meeting the inclusion criteria were included. It was determined that most of the studies were conducted online due to pandemic restrictions. The effects of the interventions (diaphragmatic breathing relaxation, emotional freedom techniques, sending motivational messages, a mobile wellness program, acceptance and commitment therapy, a neuro-meditation program, laughter yoga, gong meditation, distant Reiki, e-aid cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based breathing, and music therapy) on the parameters affecting the mental health of the nurses working actively in the COVID-19 pandemic were examined. In these studies, the interventions applied to nurses were seen to have positive results on mental health and well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic, which is a traumatic experience for healthcare professionals, shows that more interventional studies are needed to protect and improve the mental health of nurses who take care of critically ill patients during difficult times. Full article

Healthcare workers are exposed to workplace violence such as physical assaults, psychological violence and threats of violence. It is crucial to understand factors associated with workplace violence to prevent and mitigate its consequences. This study aims to identify work-related factors that might influence workplace violence in healthcare settings. A cross-sectional study was developed between March and April of 2022 with healthcare workers. The Aggression and Violence at Work Scale was used to assess workplace violence, and psychosocial risks were assessed through the Health and Work Survey—INSAT. Statistical analysis using bivariate analysis was performed to identify the psychosocial risk factors related to physical violence, psychological violence and vicarious violence. Subsequently, a multiple linear regression was performed to identify the models that better explained the relationship between psychosocial risk factors and the three dimensions of violence. Psychological violence was frequently experienced by the healthcare workers. Significant associations were found between psychosocial risk factors and physical, psychological and vicarious violence, namely working hours, work relationships, employment relations, high demands and work intensity. These findings highlight the importance of taking into consideration work-related factors when designing interventions to prevent and address workplace violence in healthcare settings. Full article

Suicidal behaviour is a public health problem whose magnitude is both substantial and increasing. Since many individuals seek medical treatment following a suicide attempt, strategies aimed at reducing further attempts in this population are a valid and feasible secondary prevention approach. An evaluation of the available evidence suggests that existing treatment approaches have a limited efficacy in this setting, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to suicide prevention. Existing research on the neurobiology of social pain has highlighted the importance of this phenomenon as a risk factor for suicide, and has also yielded several attractive targets for pharmacological strategies that could reduce suicidality in patients with suicidal ideation or a recent attempt. In this paper, the evidence related to these targets is synthesized and critically evaluated. The way in which social pain is related to the “anti-suicidal” properties of recently approved treatments, such as ketamine and psilocybin, is examined. Such strategies may be effective for the short-term reduction in suicidal ideation and behaviour, particularly in cases where social pain is identified as a contributory factor. These pharmacological approaches may be effective regardless of the presence or absence of a specific psychiatric diagnosis, but they require careful evaluation. Full article

Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a significant global problem. Interventions implemented with youth affected by CSE frequently target singular adjacent issues (e.g., substance misuse or running away); however, research indicates these interventions are most efficacious when they simultaneously treat CSE sequelae (e.g., emotion dysregulation) paired with relationship skill-building; yet few such interventions exist. Furthermore, the evidence-based reports on CSE research currently lacks rigorous research methods, such as the use of validated measures and the provision of robust outcome data. The current study aimed to implement a combined emotion regulation and safe-relationships intervention (ERIC + YR: emotion regulation, impulse control and ‘your relationships’) in a community service providing outreach for young women affected by CSE. A randomised single-case series design was used to test the effects of ERIC + YR on emotion regulation strategies, psychological wellbeing, relationship safety knowledge and behaviours, across repeated measurements for young women affected by CSE (N = 2; M_age = 18.00). Phase A consisted of baseline measures for two to three weeks. Phase B consisted of 8-sessions of ERIC + YR delivered across three to six weeks by practitioners who had undertaken ERIC + YR training. Data collection included pre/post intervention measures as well as a daily questionnaire delivered via a smartphone application. While results showed clinically significant and reliable improvements in psychological wellbeing, no other outcome measures showed change between pre and post-intervention. The current study contributes to the evidence-base as an initial step in illuminating how an empirically driven intervention can be delivered as an adjunctive treatment for youth affected by CSE. Implications inform the current evidence-base, with future directions for intervention research discussed. Full article

(1) Background: The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the precarious health situation of our country, thanks to the grueling workloads caused by understaffing and fear of contracting COVID-19. By considering this critical situation, frontline healthcare professionals who have been directly involved in the diagnosis, treatment, and care of SARS-CoV-2 patients are now at risk of developing psychological distress and other mental health symptoms, accomplices of the fear of contracting the COVID-19 and the exhausting workloads. (2) Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted by administering an online questionnaire to all Italian physicians and nurses who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire consists of socio-demographic characteristics, an assessment of anxiety levels with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which also assessed trait and state anxiety, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to evaluate the condition of depressive severity, and, finally, the Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES–R), which was administered in order to quantify the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the participants. (3) Results: A total of 770 Italian healthcare workers were enrolled in this study. Of these, 95 (12.30%) were physicians and 675 (87.70%) were nurses. By considering PTSD, anxiety, and depression levels between the physicians and nurses recruited, a significant difference was reported in the STAI-1 assessment, as both physicians and nurses reported slight and moderate levels (p = 0.033). (4) Conclusions: Physicians and nurses, who have been subjected to physical impoverishment, with the infinite physical forces spent to support the pace of work at the limits of the possible, but above all mental capacity, with the anxiety of having to face an unknown enemy, such as COVID-19. This has resulted in a significant increase in anxiety, depression, post-traumatic symptoms, and sleep disturbances, with possible repercussions not only on the quality of life of the physicians and nurses but also on the quality of assistance provided. Full article

The measures put in place to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 infection, such as quarantine, self-isolation, and lockdown, were supportive but have significantly affected the mental wellbeing of individuals. The primary goal of this study was to review the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. An intensive literature search was conducted using PsycINFO, PsyciatryOnline, PubMed, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. Articles published between January 2020 and June 2022 were retrieved and appraised. Reviews and retrospective studies were excluded. One hundred and twenty-two (122) relevant articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were finally selected. A high prevalence of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and post-traumatic stress disorders was reported. Alcohol and substance abuse, domestic violence, stigmatization, and suicidal tendencies have all been identified as direct consequences of lockdown. The eminent risk factors for mental health disorders identified during COVID-19 include fear of infection, history of mental illness, poor financial status, female gender, and alcohol drinking. The protective factors for mental health include higher income levels, public awareness, psychological counseling, social and government support. Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a number of mental disorders in addition to economic hardship. This strongly suggests the need to monitor the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health. Full article

Herein, the socio-psychological narrative of sexual harassment (SH) is critically evaluated. The notion of systemic SH in university departments of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is contradicted by the overwhelming (>90%) career satisfaction among female STEM academics. The Sexual Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ), central to the study of SH, inheres the nominalistic fallacy. SEQ usage deploys subjectivist methodologies, categorical ambiguity, the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy, and treats respondents as cyphers. Intercorrelation of SEQ factors reduces response statistics by 42%, while phase-space vector geometry indicates the SEQ does not measure SH. Personality analysis implies that serial abusers dominate the incidence of SH. The widespread notion that 20–25% of female college students suffer violent sexual assault rests on a misreading of published work. The 2016 Campus Climate Survey permits an upper limit estimate that 3.2% of female college students suffer rape at the hands of 4.3% of male student perpetrators, largely accompanied by drugs or alcohol. The 2018 National Academy (NAS) Report on sexual harassment in STEM exhibits negligent scholarship and carelessly generalizing statistics and may itself promote violation of the EEOC legal definition of SH. Despite instances of grievous sex-based abuse, there is no evidence that female STEM academics face systemic sexual harassment. Finally, evolutionary psychology and the social significance of personality provide a scientific understanding of SH. Full article

Background: There is evidence that temporal duration is spatially represented on a horizontal mental timeline (MTL) with relatively short durations represented on the left and long duration on the right side. Most of this evidence comes from the visual domain. Objective: With the present study, we investigated whether temporal duration judgements of visual and auditory stimuli might be affected by spatial biases in time representation. Methods: Participants were asked to estimate the temporal duration of a target with respect to a reference stimulus. Two different exposure times were used for the reference (fast and slow), and three exposure times for the target with respect to the reference (shorter, equal, longer). Two versions of the task were implemented to probe visual and auditory temporal processing. Results: Participants showed enhanced performance when the target had longer duration than the reference independently of the type of task, but they were affected in opposite ways by the reference exposure time, in the two tasks. Best performance was observed for the fast reference in the visual domain and for the slow reference in the auditory one. Discussion: We argue that these findings provide evidence that temporal judgments of visual and auditory stimuli are affected by the duration of the reference stimulus, besides the duration of the target stimulus. Interestingly, they suggest putative leftward and rightward spatial biases in time representation for the visual and auditory domains, respectively, although future studies are necessary to further investigate these initial findings. Full article

(1) Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder characterized by a range of syndromal responses to extreme stressors. The present study aimed to explore any differences in PTSD between registered nurses and nursing students, according to sex and nursing experience, during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2): Methods: An observational descriptive study was conducted among Italian nurses and nursing students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire was distributed in an anonymous form through the Google function of Google Modules to some social pages and nursing groups. (3) Results: In total, 576 participants were enrolled in this study. Of these, 291 (50.50%) were registered nurses and 285 (49.50%) were nursing students. By considering the Impact of Event Scale—Revised values in nurses and in nursing students according to sex, a significant difference was reported in the avoidance sub-dimension (p = 0.024), as female nurses recorded higher levels than nursing students. No further significant differences were suggested by considering both sex and nursing experience, respectively. (4) Conclusion: PTSD could be a serious consequence for both nurses and nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

(1) Background: As an emerging topic, no known study to date has described interviews with US dentists regarding their experiences during the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with regard to office closures and their implications for both the dentists and the patients they serve, especially among dentists in their first decade of work and new to practice ownership roles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of early-career US dentists during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: This study utilized a semi-structured interview protocol and employed qualitative descriptive methodology. SPSS 26 and NVivo12 were utilized for data analysis. (3) Results: In April 2020, a total of 12 early-career US dentists completed the interview study protocol. The study sample majority was male (67%), with a mean age of 32 (range = 30–37) and an average of 6 years of dental practice experience (range = 5–10). Participants completed phone interviews with the research team. In summary, three organizing themes emerged: (1) Dentistry during COVID-19: Experiences during the first wave, (2) Long-term concerns regarding COVID-19, and (3) COVID-19 professional communication and dental research. (4) Conclusions: The chief findings of this study are dentists’ long-term concerns for the profession post-COVID-19. Research must still determine how to best prepare for future infectious disease outbreaks with regards to safeguarding the health of the dental workforce and maintaining the oral health of patient populations. Full article

The purpose of this study was to examine and improve differential item functioning (DIF) across gender and language groups in the VERA 8 tests. We used multigroup concurrent calibration with full and partial invariance based on the Rasch and two-parameter logistic (2PL) models, and classified students into proficiency levels based on their test scores and previously defined cut scores. The results indicated that some items showed gender- and language-specific DIF when using the Rasch model, but we did not detect large misfit items (suspected as DIF) when using the 2PL model. When the item parameters were estimated using the 2PL model with partial invariance assumption (PI-2PL), only small or negligible misfit items were found in the overall tests for both groups. It is argued in this study that the 2PL model should be preferred because both of its approaches provided less bias. However, especially in the presence of unweighted sample sizes of German and non-German students, the non-German students had the highest misfit item proportions. Although the items with medium or small misfit did not have a significant effect on the scores and performance classifications, the items with large misfit changed the proportions of students at the highest and lowest performance levels. Full article

The default procedures of the software programs Mplus and lavaan tend to yield an inadmissible solution (also called a Heywood case) when the sample is small or the parameter is close to the boundary of the parameter space. In factor models, a negatively estimated variance does often occur. One strategy to deal with this is fixing the variance to zero and then estimating the model again in order to obtain the estimates of the remaining model parameters. In the present article, we present one possible approach for justifying this strategy. Specifically, using a simple one-factor model as an example, we show that the maximum likelihood (ML) estimate of the variance of the latent factor is zero when the initial solution to the optimization problem (i.e., the solution provided by the default procedure) is a negative value. The basis of our argument is the very definition of ML estimation, which requires that the log-likelihood be maximized over the parameter space. We present the results of a small simulation study, which was conducted to evaluate the proposed ML procedure and compare it with Mplus’ default procedure. We found that the proposed ML procedure increased estimation accuracy compared to Mplus’ procedure, rendering the ML procedure an attractive option to deal with inadmissible solutions. Full article