Appraisal of life change, depression, and illness in hardy and nonhardy women.

A survey study of adult women was conducted to examine whether psychological hardiness buffers people against stressful life change through the appraisal and interpretation of life experiences. Hardy and nonhardy participants reported life events for the previous year, physical illness for the previous 6 months, and current levels of depression and rated each reported event in terms of its desirability. Results indicate that, although hardiness is not associated with the likelihood of reporting any specific life events, nonhardy subjects appraise a significantly higher proportion of their life experiences as undesirable than do hardy subjects and report that each negative event requires greater adjustment. Discussion focuses on nonhardiness as a correlate of the trait of negative affectivity rather than hardiness as a reflection of special resiliency to stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of psychological hardiness, job demands, and job control on sickness absence: A prospective study.

This study prospectively investigated the effects of psychological hardiness, job control, and job demands on medically certified sickness absence. Data from a questionnaire survey were combined with archival data for sickness absence among 7,239 civilian and military employees of the Norwegian Armed Forces (84.3% male, 69.8% military). A 2-component hurdle regression was used in the statistical analyses of the sickness absence data. After controlling for age, sex, and baseline absence, hardiness predicted both the likelihood of having any sickness absence (odds ratio = 0.97) and the number of absence spells (a 6.5% decrease in the expected count for 1 standard deviation change in hardiness). In addition, an interaction was found among hardiness, job control, and psychological demands. When demands were high, high job control was associated with more absence among employees with low levels of hardiness. Together, these findings point to hardiness as an important individual resource in relation to health, and that it is necessary to consider individual differences when examining the effects of work characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differences in distress among adult children of alcoholics.

Investigated within-group differences in psychological distress, social support, and hardiness among adult children of alcoholics (ACAs). Members of ACA support groups (21 men, 58 women) were compared to ACA college students (27 men, 40 women) not involved in such support groups. Support group members reported higher levels of psychological distress, lower levels of hardiness, and less satisfaction with perceived social support than did the college student ACAs. Support group members also reported more negative feelings, attitudes, and behaviors with regard to parental alcoholism than did the college students. For both groups, hardiness and social support were negatively correlated with psychological distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived discrimination, sense of control, and depressive symptoms among Korean American older adults.

This study explored a potential pathway by which perceived discrimination may affect levels of depressive symptoms in a sample of 472 Korean American older adults (Mage = 69.9, SD = 7.04). Building upon previous studies demonstrating that perceived discrimination has negative impacts on mental health, we hypothesized that sense of control would mediate the associations between perceived discrimination and depressive symptoms. Our analyses showed that the effects of perceived discrimination on depressive symptoms were not only direct but also mediated through a lowered sense of control. Finding that sense of control serves as an intervening step between perceived discrimination and mental health may help explicate the psychological mechanisms involved in responses to discriminatory experience and has implications for intervention strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Case studies in the development of organizational hardiness: From theory to practice.

This article addresses the development of organizational hardiness through psychological consultation emphasizing the hardiness model. A review of the hardiness construct is presented. The article moves from existential theory, in which the hardiness model is rooted, to two case examples of psychological consulting. The article also briefly gives other case examples about building organizational hardiness as a part of other consulting interventions. The emphasis in consultation designed to develop organizational hardiness is on building commitment, healthy control, an orientation toward decision and action, an attitude of finding challenge and meaning in difficult situations, and authentic community. The author concludes that hardiness is valuable both individually and organizationally and that the power of existential theory deserves renewed attention in psychology, especially in the area of consulting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trajectories of perceived adult and peer discrimination among Black, Latino, and Asian American adolescents: Patterns and psychological correlates.

This article presents results from a 3-year longitudinal study of the growth patterns and correlates of perceived discrimination by adults and by peers among Black, Latino, and Asian American high school students. Results revealed a linear increase over time in levels of perceived discrimination by adults, whereas perceptions of discrimination by peers remained stable over time. Asian American and non-Puerto Rican Latino adolescents (primarily Dominican) reported higher levels of peer and/or adult discrimination than did Puerto Rican youth, whereas Black adolescents reported a steeper increase over time in levels of perceived discrimination by peers and by adults than did Puerto Rican adolescents. Peer and adult discrimination was significantly associated with decreased self-esteem and increased depressive symptoms over time. Ethnic identity and ethnicity were found to moderate the relationships between perceived discrimination and changes in psychological well-being over time. Results underscore the need to include perceptions of discrimination when studying the development and well-being of ethnic minority adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stressors and adverse outcomes for female construction workers.

The authors examined the impact of a number of job stressors, including sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination, on female construction workers' level of job satisfaction and psychological and physical health. Results from a telephone survey with 211 female laborers indicated that having responsibility for others' safety and having support from supervisors and male coworkers was related to greater job satisfaction. Increased reported psychological symptoms were also related to increased responsibility, as well as skill underutilization, experiencing sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination from supervisors and coworkers, and having to overcompensate at work. Perceptions of overcompensation at work and job certainty were positively associated with self-reports of insomnia. Finally, sexual harassment and gender discrimination were positively related to reports of increased nausea and headaches. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An intersectional approach for understanding perceived discrimination and psychological well-being among African American and Caribbean Black youth.

The present study examined whether combinations of ethnicity, gender, and age moderated the association between perceived discrimination and psychological well-being indicators (depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and life satisfaction) in a nationally representative sample of Black youth. The data were from the National Survey of American Life, which includes 810 African American and 360 Caribbean Black adolescents. The results indicated main effects such that perceived discrimination was linked to increased depressive symptoms and decreased self-esteem and life satisfaction. Additionally, there were significant interactions for ethnicity, gender, and race. Specifically, older Caribbean Black female adolescents exhibited higher depressive symptoms and lower life satisfaction in the context of high levels of perceived discrimination compared with older African American male adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hardiness and social support as moderators of the effects of life stress.

Examined the relation of social support and the hardy personality, which have been identified in previous studies as variables that reduce the effects of life stress on physical or psychological disturbance, and the relative importance of each in reducing the effects of life stress. 83 female undergraduates completed the Life Experiences Survey, the Levenson Locus of Control Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and self-report measures of social support and hardiness. The commitment and challenge dimensions of hardiness were found to be significantly correlated with social support, whereas the control dimension was not. When the interactions among life stress, social support, and hardiness were considered, only alienation from self moderated the effects of life stress. The possibility is proposed that studies that found social support to be a moderator of life stress may have indirectly measured hardiness. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Induction of metallothionein synthesis by bismuth in cultured vascular endothelial cells

The accuracy and reliability of the TMJ Scale were originally determined in cross-validation studies on large, research-based patient samples. It had been assumed that the demographic characteristics and test responses of these research-based samples would be representative of the clinical population in which the TMJ Scale would ultimately find use. The present study on more than 10,000 patients that were evaluated for temporomandibular disorders in clinical practice demonstrates that the test scores, demographic variables, and the patterns of symptom severity that characterize the original TMJ Scale research sample accurately represent the general temporomandibular disorder patient population in which the TMJ Scale is now being used. The results suggest a high degree of confidence in the clinical efficacy of this assessment tool. The overall symptom severity of temporomandibular disorders was found to be normally distributed in the patient population. Women with temporomandibular disorders report a higher level of severity of all physical and psychological symptoms than men. This may explain the high female-to-male ratio in patients seeking treatment. However, a higher percentage of male temporomandibular disorder patients has clinically significant psychological and stress-related problems than do women. The severity and prevalence of symptoms associated with joint dysfunction and range of motion limitation are lower in older age groups, and the overall symptom severity of temporomandibular disorders is not higher in older age groups. However, the severity and prevalence of symptoms associated with joint dysfunction are greater in groups in which temporomandibular disorders have existed for longer durations, although pain levels do not follow this trend. There is also an association between time duration of the temporomandibular disorder and the severity of psychological problems and chronicity. Patients with chronic problems are symptomatically more impaired than those with acute problems.     

Collective self-esteem as a coping resource for male-to-female transsexuals.

The fear of experiencing discrimination often provokes symptoms of psychological distress. One coping resource is positive identification with one's social group--known as collective self-esteem. This preliminary study investigated whether collective self-esteem was related to fears regarding a transsexual identity and psychological distress among 53 self-identified male-to-female transsexuals (mean age = 50.79 years). Participants were recruited from transgender events held in Arizona and California. The majority (81%) reported living full-time as women (mean length of time living as a woman = 6.33 years). Negative feelings about the transsexual community and fears regarding the impact of a transsexual identity were positively related to psychological distress. A regression model revealed that the fear of how a transsexual identity would affect one's life was the best predictor of the severity of psychological distress. These results are consistent with findings from other historically marginalized groups, whereby the stress of being stigmatized by society adversely affects mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

SLASH: a program for analysing the functional groups in molecules

The authors examined the impact of a number of job stressors, including sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination, on female construction workers' level of job satisfaction and psychological and physical health. Results from a telephone survey with 211 female laborers indicated that having responsibility for others' safety and having support from supervisors and male coworkers was related to greater job satisfaction. Increased reported psychological symptoms were also related to increased responsibility, as well as skill underutilization, experiencing sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination from supervisors and coworkers, and having to overcompensate at work. Perceptions of overcompensation at work and job uncertainty were positively associated with self-reports of insomnia. Finally, sexual harassment and gender discrimination were positively related to reports of increased nausea and headaches.     

A structural model of parental alcoholism, family functioning, and psychological health: The mediating effects of hardiness and personal growth orientation.

The purposes of this study were to (a) determine whether personal growth orientation and hardiness mediated the relations of parental alcoholism and family functioning to psychological well-being and distress; (b) determine whether this mediational model was invariant across women and men; and (c) examine the role of parental alcoholism in a model that included family functioning. Personal growth orientation appeared to mediate fully the relation of family functioning to distress for both genders. For women, hardiness appeared to mediate partially the relation of family functioning to well-being. For men, this relation appeared to be fully mediated by hardiness. The models were predominantly invariant across genders. Parental alcoholism had no direct effects on well-being or distress; indirect effects were found through family functioning, personal growth orientation, and hardiness. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of racial identity in perceived racial discrimination.

This study examined the role that dimensions of racial identity play regarding the antecedents and consequences of perceived racial discrimination among African Americans. A total of 267 African American college students completed measures of racial identity, perceived racial discrimination, and psychological distress at 2 time points. After controlling for previous perceptions of discrimination, racial centrality was positively associated with subsequent perceived racial discrimination. Additionally, perceived discrimination was positively associated with subsequent event-specific and global psychological distress after accounting for previous perceptions of discrimination and distress. Finally, racial ideology and public regard beliefs moderated the positive relationship between perceived discrimination and subsequent distress. The results illustrate the complex role racial identity plays in the lives of African Americans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How Young and Older Adults Differ in Their Responses to Perceived Age Discrimination.

The authors examined the consequences of perceived age discrimination for well-being and group identification. The rejection-identification model suggests that perceived discrimination harms psychological well-being in low status groups but that group identification partially alleviates this effect. The authors hypothesized that this process model would be confirmed among older adults because their low status group membership is permanent but not confirmed among young adults whose low status is temporary. Using structural equation modeling, the authors found support for the hypothesized direct negative link between perceived age discrimination and well-being among older adults, with increased age group identification partially attenuating this effect. For young adults, these relationships were absent. Differences in responses to discrimination appear to be based on opportunities for leaving a low status group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The prevalence of perceived discrimination among African American and Caribbean Black youth.

The present study examined ethnic, gender, and age differences in perceived discrimination and the association between perceived discrimination and psychological well-being in a nationally representative sample of Black adolescents. Data are from the National Survey of African Life (NSAL), which includes 810 African American and 360 Caribbean Black youth. Results indicate that the majority of Black youth perceived at least 1 discriminatory incident in the previous year. Adolescents at later stages of development perceived more discrimination than those at earlier stages, and African American and Caribbean Black males perceived more discrimination than their female counterparts. Perceptions of discrimination were positively linked to depressive symptoms and were negatively linked to self-esteem and life satisfaction, regardless of ethnicity. However, Caribbean Black youth appear to be more vulnerable when they perceive high levels of discrimination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Learning to Live With What You Can't Rise Above": Control Beliefs, Symptom Control, and Adjustment to Tinnitus.

The relations between 3 types of perceived control, symptom severity, and 2 adaptational outcomes, depressive symptoms and psychological well-being, were examined in a sample of 319 people with tinnitus. Consistent with previous studies of control and adjustment to chronic health conditions, general health and symptom control were associated with better psychological adjustment, and retrospective control was associated with worse psychological adjustment. Only symptom control emerged as a significant moderator in the symptom severity--adjustment relationship, such that stronger beliefs in one's ability to control symptoms were most strongly associated with better adjustment among those with more severe tinnitus symptoms. These findings were consistent with coping perspectives and cognitive adaptation theory and suggest that symptom-related perceptions of control may be an effective coping resource to nurture in chronic health contexts with severe symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A prospective study of risk and resilience factors associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms and depression symptoms among Jews and Arabs exposed to repeated acts of terrorism in Israel.

In the first prospective study, to our knowledge, of the impact of ongoing terrorism and political violence, we analyzed nationally representative data from 560 Jews and 182 Arabs in Israel over a 6-month period. Based on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1989, 1998), we predicted that exposure to terrorism and political violence would result in psychosocial and economic resource loss and resource lack, which in turn, would be primary predictors of increases in symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depression. We also predicted that trauma exposure and PTS symptoms, in particular, would be related to ethnocentrism and support for political violence. Furthermore, based on theory and prior research, we predicted that posttraumatic growth (PTG) would be related to a worsening of symptoms of distress and that distress would be related to increased ethnocentrism and support for extreme political violence for their “cause.” Women, older individuals, and Arabs (compared with Jews) were more likely to have continued psychological distress over time. In addition, using simultaneous equation modeling, we found good fit for a structural model that partially supported our hypotheses. Psychosocial resource loss, PTG, and social support had direct and indirect effects on psychological distress. Political attitudes tended to harden over time but were not prospectively related to PTS or depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hardiness and health: A critique and alternative approach.

Recent research has suggested that individual differences in the personality variable of hardiness are related to health and illness. Despite some success at predicting health outcomes, there are several theoretical and empirical problems that must be addressed before research on this topic can proceed. Most critical are (a) how hardiness is to be measured; (b) whether hardiness should be treated as a unitary phenomenon or as three separate phenomena associated with commitment, control, and challenge; and (c) whether hardiness has direct effects on health or indirect effects by virtue of buffering the impact of stressful life events. After reviewing the literature and presenting our own study of the psychometric properties of the Hardiness Scale and its subcomponents, we draw the following conclusions: (a) Hardiness is not a unitary phenomenon, but should be treated as involving three separate phenomena; (b) of the three subcomponents of hardiness, only commitment and control have adequate psychometric properties and are systematically related to health outcomes; (c) lack of control and lack of commitment have direct effects on health because they are psychologically stressful; and (d) if there are buffering effects of commitment and control, they are in addition to these direct effects and are situation specific. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological factors and depressive symptoms in ischemic heart disease.

The aim of this study was to determine whether learned helplessness, cognitive distortions, self-efficacy, and dispositional optimism assessed at Time 1 (T1; questionnaires mailed at 1 month postdischarge) would predict depressive symptoms at Time 2 (T2; questionnaires mailed at 1-year follow-up) in a sample of 86 patients hospitalized with ischemic heart disease. Multiple regression results indicated that optimism and cognitive distortions at T1 were significantly associated with T1 depressive symptoms after controlling for confounding variables. When the T1 psychological factors were analyzed with T2 depressive symptoms, only optimism continued to predict depressive symptoms after controlling for confounds and T1 depressive symptoms. The global expectancies that optimism assessed appeared to be more stable over time than the statelike beliefs of cognitive distortions and may have accounted for why optimism predicted T2 depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)