Coping as a moderator of the influence of economic stressors on psychological health

Since 2008, there has been a decline in the economy of several European countries, including Portugal. In the literature, it is emphasized that periods of economic uncertainty propitiate the appearance of mental health problems and diminish populations? well-being. The aim of the present study, with 729 Portuguese participants, 33.9% (n=247) males and 66.1% (n=482) females with an average age of 37 years old (M=36.99; SD=12.81), was to examine the relationship between economic hardship, financial threat, and financial well-being (i.e., economic stressors) and stress, anxiety, and depression (i.e., psychological health indicators), as well as to test the moderation effect of coping in the aforementioned relationship. To achieve these goals, a cross-sectional design was implemented and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the obtained data. Our results underline that coping affects the relationship between economic stressors and psychological health since subjects with lower coping levels are more vulnerable to economic stress factors than those with higher coping levels. The moderation effect was more evident in the relationships between economic hardship and stress, anxiety, and depression. The main implications of this study are presented, as well as its? limitations and suggestions for future research

Stress ocupacional e alteração do Estatuto da Carreira Docente português

Este estudo foi realizado com 1162 professores, tendo como objetivo analisar a experiência de stress e a síndrome de “burnout”, antes a após a alteração do Estatuto da Carreira Docente em Portugal. Assim, foram efetuadas duas avaliações em momentos temporais distintos, assumindo-se um plano transversal de recolha de dados (2004/2005, n=689 e 2008/2009, n=473). O protocolo de avaliação incluiu medidas de fontes de stress (Questionário de Stress nos Professores, Gomes, Silva, Mourisco, Mota, & Montenegro, 2006) e de “burnout” (Inventário de “Burnout” de Maslach – Versão para Professores, Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter, 1996; Maslach, Jackson, & Schwab, 1996, Adaptação de Gomes et al., 2006). Os resultados indicaram que a experiência de stress e de “burnout” aumentou entre as duas avaliações, verificando-se em 2008/2009 aumentos em áreas relacionadas com as pressões de tempo/excesso de trabalho e com o trabalho burocrático/administrativo e, inversamente, diminuições em áreas relacionadas com as diferentes capacidades e motivações dos alunos. Quanto à predição da síndrome de “burnout”, não se verificaram alterações substanciais nas variáveis preditoras nos dois momentos. Em síntese, os resultados indicaram aumentos nas exigências profissionais dos professores, mas não se pode afirmar que tal se deva às alterações do Estatuto da Carreira Docente uma vez que não observámos alterações no stress associado à carreira docente.(undefined

Women and Psychiatry

La psychiatrie est très redevable au mouvement des femmes du fait que cette dernière a appelé l'attention sur les répercussions du conditionnement social des en fonts du sexe féminin, lequel tend à faire accepter la soumission, le manque d'autorité, le manque d'indépendance émotive ou financière, le manque de latitude pour I'originalité, la creativité, les réalisations et le succèss, ouvrant ainsi la voie à I'angoisse et à la maladie. Une étude scientifique objective menée par Broverman chez les travailleurs du domaine de I 'hygiène mentale fait état d'une double norme de I'hygiène mentale. On perçoit les hommes comme étant normaux et adultes et les femmes comme n'étant ni normales ni adultes si elles possèdent les qualités qu'on est censé trouver chez les femmes sérieuses bien adaptées aux exigences due la société. Dans une analyse psychosociologique, Dorothy Dinnerstein a prouvé que la division artificielle des qualités humaines en deux groupes, tel que le veut le portage traditionnel des fonctions entre le secteur masculin et le secteur féminin, est malsaine. Il faut trouver un nouveau type d'hygiène mentale à partir d'une intégration des qualités humaines. On a procédé à un premier travail de recherche de la ville de Hamilton, en vue d'obtenir des données au sujet de la tendance de la pratique privée en psychiatrie. Les malades du sexe féminin I'emportaient en nombre sur ceux de I'autre sexe, dans une proportion de 3 à 2. Dans le cas de quarante-cinq pour cent des femmes on a diagnostiqué la dépression. On a constaté une corrélation entre la dépression et le mariage; venait ensuite une corrélation entre la dépression et le mariage; venait ensuite une corrélation entre la dépression et le veuvage ou le divorce. Les femmes célibataires semblaient moins exposées à la dépression que les femmes mariées. Toutefois, les femmes célibataires étaient plus sujettes à un diagnostic de troubles de personnalité que ne l'étaient les hommes célibataires. Il y avait en outre une corrélation entre la dépression et la situation en matière d'emploi, alors que la plupart des femmes déprimées étaient soit des ménagères, des assistées sociales ou des personnes travaillant à plein temps dans des emplois de bas niveau. Les ordonnances de médicaments pour le traitement des principaux troubles mentaux ont été quelque peu exagérées dans le cas des femmes. Toutefois, contre toute attente, on n'a pas constaté qu'il y avait abus de tranquillisants et d'antidépresseurs de la part des psyohiatres soit à l'endroit des hommes, soit à I 'endroit des femmes. On a constaté une différence importante dans la durée de la psychothérapie. Les hommes I'emportaient en nombre sur les femmes dans le cas de thérapie à court terme alors que les femmes étaient plus nombreuses que les hommes à suivre des traitements de thérapie d'une durée de plus de six mois

Job Insecurity, Employability and Financial Threat during COVID-19

COVID-19 has resulted not only in widespread illness and death, it has also upended most spheres of social life including the economic/financial one in that it has had large impacts on local economies, resulting in widespread job loss, job insecurity and loss of income. Employability, a psychological construct, refers to the belief that one can get a (another) job in the event of job loss, and financial threat refers to feelings of threat and anxiety associated with one’s finances. During the pandemic, many people experienced job loss due mainly to business closures. The present study examined the relationship between employability, job insecurity due to COVID-19, and financial threat in a Canadian (n= 487) and U.S. (n=481) sample of adults recruited on MTurk early on in the pandemic (April 2020). Participants in the Canadian sample, compared to their American counterparts, were less likely to be employed full-time, 37% vs. 67%, respectively, were more likely to be unemployed, 40% vs. 13%, respectively, and had lower self-reported socio-economic status.  A theoretical model was put forward in which employability was associated with less job insecurity and this was related to less financial threat. Results revealed that financial self-efficacy was associated with greater employability, less job insecurity and less financial threat in both samples. Further, feelings that one had enough income to “get by” since the advent of COVID-19, were positively related to employability in both samples, but in the Canadian sample only, these feelings were also related to less job insecurity and less financial threat. Implications of the study’s results are discussed within the economic climate resulting from the pandemic

Job Insecurity, Employability and Financial Threat during COVID-19

COVID-19 has resulted not only in widespread illness and death, it has also upended most spheres of social life including the economic/financial one in that it has had large impacts on local economies, resulting in widespread job loss, job insecurity and loss of income. Employability, a psychological construct, refers to the belief that one can get a (another) job in the event of job loss, and financial threat refers to feelings of threat and anxiety associated with one’s finances. During the pandemic, many people experienced job loss due mainly to business closures. The present study examined the relationship between employability, job insecurity due to COVID-19, and financial threat in a Canadian (n= 487) and U.S. (n=481) sample of adults recruited on MTurk early on in the pandemic (April 2020). Participants in the Canadian sample, compared to their American counterparts, were less likely to be employed full-time, 37% vs. 67%, respectively, were more likely to be unemployed, 40% vs. 13%, respectively, and had lower self-reported socio-economic status.  A theoretical model was put forward in which employability was associated with less job insecurity and this was related to less financial threat. Results revealed that financial self-efficacy was associated with greater employability, less job insecurity and less financial threat in both samples. Further, feelings that one had enough income to “get by” since the advent of COVID-19, were positively related to employability in both samples, but in the Canadian sample only, these feelings were also related to less job insecurity and less financial threat. Implications of the study’s results are discussed within the economic climate resulting from the pandemic