Functional Social Support Moderates Stress on Depression in Individuals with CID during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Two-Wave Study.

Depression is a common psychological experience for those living with a chronic illness and disease (CID). Social support (SS) can influence psychological health by regulating emotional functioning. The functional domain of SS refers to supportive exchange, including the emotional and instrumental functions. Public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic include social distancing and isolation, which have impacted functional aspects of SS. The health risks of being isolated are comparable to the risks linked to obesity, blood pressure, and cigarette smoking. PURPOSE: To investigate the moderating effect of functional SS on the stress-depression relationship on individuals with CID during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Two waves of data were collected from a US sample: Apr. ’20: N = 321; Jun. ’20: N = 238. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (depression symptoms), the Medical Outcomes Study–Social Support Survey–8 (perceived social support), and the Perceived Stress Scale–10 (perceived stress). For each wave of data, social support was entered as a moderator of the stress-depression relationship via multiple regression. RESULTS: The moderation models were estimated separately by wave. In the first wave, there was a negative but nonsignificant moderating effect (b = -0.19, p = .10) of social support on the stress-depression relationship (R2 = 51). In the second wave, the moderating relationship of social support doubled in magnitude (b = -0.30, p = .03, R2 = .57). During the COVID pandemic, functional social support weakened the association between stress and depression. CONCLUSION: Given the increased risk for social isolation and negative social exchange among people with CID during the COVID-19 pandemic, practitioners in rehabilitation psychology need to be informed about the potential implications of a lack of SS for the psychological health of the CID clients they work with. Drawing from the stress-buffering model and Lazarus et al.’s stress and coping theory (Lazarus, 1966; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), our findings indicate that increased levels of perceived support can reduce the effects of stress on depression during the pandemic by contributing to fewer negative appraisals. Interventions targeting the particular functions of emotional (e.g., opportunities for emotional expression and venting) and instrumental (e.g., material aid) support could have immediate implications for facilitating rehabilitation outcomes (e.g., quality of life, interpersonal functioning, psychiatric symptomatology) during this public health crisis

Religious Coping and Depression: A Five-Wave Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Individuals with Chronic Illness and Disease

The rise of Chronic Illness and Disease (CID) globally and the increase in lifespan/survival rates among those with CID have boosted the interest on how coping, a psychosocial construct, influences rehabilitation. A relationship between coping and psychosocial adjustment has been repeatedly confirmed. Religious coping (RC), a specific emotion-focused coping act, focuses on the roles of religion in crisis, trauma, or transition. RC is part of secondary appraisals and it can take two forms: positive and negative. There is high prevalence of depression among people with CID. Coexisting depression and the COVID-19 pandemic have added significant burden on those individuals’ daily lives affecting rehabilitation outcomes. Higher-level macroanalytic models are inadequate in explaining/predicting the variability in coping behavior. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of RC on depression in individuals with CID before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Five waves of data were collected from a US sample. The analytic sample for this study was comprised of those with all five waves (n = 283). Three waves were collected prior to and two waves during the COVID pandemic. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (depression symptoms) and the positive and negative RC subscales of the Brief RCOPE. The effects of RC on depression were examined using a linear longitudinal mixed model. The model included main of positive and negative coping and time-by-religious coping interaction effects. RESULTS: Although depression levels did not change across the five waves, on average, significant relationships were observed: a) Negative RC had a strong relationship with depression (B = 1.8, p \u3c .001) and b) there was significant time-by-positive RC interaction (B = -0.11, p = .03), suggesting that, over time, the relationship between positive RC and depression became less strong. CONCLUSION: CID can create major life stressors. Understanding which coping dispositions and strategies are most effective during the COVID-19 pandemic are central to research and practice right now. Drawing from the microanalytic level of coping (Krohne, 1993), we investigated a specific coping act in a particular context and temporal sequence. Future studies should examine why a) depression stayed stable, b) the relationship between negative RC (spiritual frictions within oneself/others/superior force) and depression remained strong, and c) the relationship between positive RC (connection with the divine, spiritual relationship with others, compassionate world view) with depression weakened during this unique global crisis

The role of civility and cultural humility in navigating controversial areas in psychology

We are living in the most culturally diverse but perhaps least interculturally civil time in modern history, and the field of psychology is not immune. Over recent decades, our field has often engaged in divisive and uncivil dialogue, as people with diverse perspectives have criticized, derogated, or even demonized one another. This article explores how civility and cultural humility can help remedy such situations. We focus on the controversial intersection of religion/spirituality and sexuality/gender. Bringing together a diverse group of coauthors, we discuss how cultural humility and civility can help navigate controversy within the arenas of public policy, multicultural training, clinical practice, and scientific research. First, we summarize current policies about civility and theories about cultural humility. Second, drawing on case examples, we discuss how civility and cultural humility can guide effective multicultural training and clinical practice at this intersection. Third, we review the team science literature on diversity and use a case example to illustrate how civility and cultural humility can help diverse teams advance research on religion/spirituality and sexuality/gender (e.g., by helping harness collective wisdom, honor cultural differences, build group cohesion, and resolve team conflict). Fourth, we highlight possible problems with civility (e.g., perceptions of civility can differ) and promises of incivility (e.g., protest can catalyze progress). Finally, we present an integrative model for guiding policymaking, clinical practice, and research in controversial areas, as dialogue partners adopt empathy as their affective stance, civility as their behavioral stance, and humility as their cognitive stance

The Role of Civility and Cultural Humility in Navigating Controversial Areas in Psychology

We are living in the most culturally diverse but perhaps least interculturally civil time in modern history, and the field of psychology is not immune. Over recent decades, our field has often engaged in divisive and uncivil dialogue, as people with diverse perspectives have criticized, derogated, or even demonized one another. This article explores how civility and cultural humility can help remedy such situations. We focus on the controversial intersection of religion/spirituality and sexuality/gender. Bringing together a diverse group of coauthors, we discuss how cultural humility and civility can help navigate controversy within the arenas of public policy, multicultural training, clinical practice, and scientific research. First, we summarize current policies about civility and theories about cultural humility. Second, drawing on case examples, we discuss how civility and cultural humility can guide effective multicultural training and clinical practice at this intersection. Third, we review the team science literature on diversity and use a case example to illustrate how civility and cultural humility can help diverse teams advance research on religion/spirituality and sexuality/gender (e.g., by helping harness collective wisdom, honor cultural differences, build group cohesion, and resolve team conflict). Fourth, we highlight possible problems with civility (e.g., perceptions of civility can differ) and promises of incivility (e.g., protest can catalyze progress). Finally, we present an integrative model for guiding policymaking, clinical practice, and research in controversial areas, as dialogue partners adopt empathy as their affective stance, civility as their behavioral stance, and humility as their cognitive stanc