A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis: do personal and social resources make a difference?

Bij behandeling reumatoïde artritis: steun van familie en vrienden belangrijk Reumatoïde artritis (RA) is een chronische invaliderende ziekte met een onbekende oorzaak en een onvoorspelbaar beloop. De symptomen, waaronder pijn, vermoeidheid en functionele beperkingen, zorgen voor een aanzienlijke last, die van invloed is op fysieke, psychologische en sociale aspecten van de patiënt. Bij de medische behandeling van RA wordt vooruitgang geboekt, maar behandeling is ook nog sterk gericht op het verlichten van de symptomen en op het remmen van de voortgang van het ziekteproces. Het onderzoek van Jozef Benka draagt bij aan het inzicht in het belang van persoonlijke en sociale hulpbronnen (de steun van familie en vrienden) bij RA. De verbanden die op persoonlijke en sociale hulpbronnen berusten, impliceren duidelijk dat de behandeling van patiënten zich mede moet richten op diens hulpbronnen. De bevindingen zijn ten gunste van de noodzaak van zorg door partners, omdat die de competenties van en de betrokkenheid bij de patiënten versterken. Dit is zeer relevant, in het bijzonder in de context van de Slowaakse gezondheidszorg, die grotendeels nog als paternalistisch gekenmerkt kan worden met een lage betrokkenheid van de patiënt. Tot slot zou een nauwe samenwerking tussen reumatologen en gezondheidspsychologen van groot nut kunnen zijn voor het identificeren en ondersteunen van de persoonlijke en sociale hulpbronnen van patiënten die hun leven met reumatoïde artritis moeten leven. The research aims of this thesis focus on social and personal resources in the context of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in relation to Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and especially psychological distress. The first aim was to explore psychological distress and its associations with disease symptoms and social support in RA patients over time. Psychological distress was most strongly predicted by the initial level pain, the emotional support and the initial level of psychological distress. In addition, certain evidence for a moderating effect of emotional support on the impact of RA on depressive feelings was found. The second research aim focused on personal resources of the patients, and particularly on coping self-efficacy. The results showed that patients who reported higher self-efficacy to carry out coping behavior reported lower anxiety and depression levels. This finding remained significant regardless of the disease activity and personality differences among the patients. The third research topic focused on social participation and showed that patients with higher levels of perceived restrictions in social participation had a tendency to experience more pain, higher fatigue, worse functioning and generally lower HRQoL. This thesis has contributed to the research supporting the importance of personal and social resources as well as social participation in RA patients. The associations produced by personal and social resources clearly imply that patients´ resources need to be addressed during the treatment. The findings stress the need for partnership care and giving more competencies and involvement to the patients while battling their disease.

Academic Stress Factors in Slovak University Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Aim: To study the in/direct relationship between fear of COVID-19 contraction and academic stress during the first wave of the pandemic. Method: The sample consisted of 835 university students (597 female students, 71.5%, M = 22.71 years of age, SD = 3.69). Data were gathered online by the questionnaire of the international study The COVID-19 International Student Well-being Study (C19 ISWS). Results: An above-average level of academic stress and a below-average gender-related level of fear of contracting the virus were found. The relationship between fear of contracting the virus and academic stress was serially mediated by loneliness and depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The findings stress the importance of monitoring the level of fear of virus contraction and the student-perceived perspective of academic achievement during actions taken by academic authorities to support the quality of teaching and students’ mental health

Is Coping Self-Efficacy Related to Psychological Distress in Early and Established Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients?

The study aimed to explore associations between coping self-efficacy and psychological distress in early and established rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Two samples differing in disease duration were collected at outpatient rheumatology clinics in Eastern Slovakia. The first sample consisted of 146 established patients with disease duration of 12 years or more (age = 58.02 SD = 10.38 years; disease duration = 16.08 SD = 3.60 years; 86 % women) and the second sample consisted of 102 early RA patients with disease duration of 4 years or less (age = 53.25 SD = 12.32; disease duration = 2.8 SD = 1.23 years; 75 % women). The patients underwent a routine rheumatology check and completed questionnaires regarding functional disability, neuroticism and extraversion, coping self-efficacy and psychological distress. The data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression models. Coping self-efficacy was significantly negatively associated with psychological distress in both samples with the strongest association with anxiety in the early RA group. These associations remained significant after controlling for sociodemographic, disease related and personality variables. Psychological distress was further associated with disease activity, functional disability, neuroticism and extraversion. However, different patterns in respect to anxiety and depression with the duration of RA was observed. Coping self-efficacy accounted for a unique variance in psychological distress even after controlling for the influence of disease activity, functional status and personality traits. The strongest association was observed with anxiety in early RA patients. As a result, management and intervention programs increasing self-efficacy for coping strategies might be beneficial for reducing anxiety and depression especially during the early phase of the disease

Social Support as a Moderator of Functional Disability's Effect on Depressive Feelings in Early Rheumatoid Arthritis:A Four-Year Prospective Study

Objective: To examine associations of depressive feelings with disease-related variables and explore the moderating effect of social support on depressive feelings in individuals with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) prospectively over 4 years. Method: Data were collected annually over 4 years. The sample consisted of 124 individuals with diagnosed RA (85.5% women; mean age 47.9 years; mean disease duration 22.2 months). The strength of cross-sectional and prospective associations of sociodemographic, disease-related variables and the direct and moderating effects of social support on depression were tested using correlations, multilevel models, and hierarchical linear regressions. Results: The study showed that emotional support moderated the influence of functional disability on depressive feelings in individuals with RA. This was not detected for instrumental support. Further prospective associations between functional status, marital status, and depressive feelings were also found. Overall, the strongest association was found between initial depressive feelings and depressive feelings over time. Conclusions: Initial depression seemed to be a risk factor in explaining later depressive feelings, but emotional support might be prospectively beneficial, especially for individuals with higher levels of disability. Early detection of individuals at risk for depression and providing interventions aimed at the specific functions of social support might help to decrease mental health problems

Social participation in early and established rheumatoid arthritis patients

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine whether rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with different levels of restriction in social participation differ in disease related as well as psychosocial variables and whether a similar pattern can be found among early and established RA patients. Method: Two samples of RA patients with early (n = 97; age = 53 ± 12.3 years; disease duration = 2.8 ± 1.2 years; 76% women) and established (n = 143; age = 58 ± 10.3 years; disease duration = 16.1 ± 3.6 years; 86% women) were collected. The pattern of differences for the patients with different level of participation restriction (no restriction, mild, moderate or high restriction) was explored by the Jonckheere–Terpstra test. Results: Significant differences were found between patients with different levels of social participation restrictions in both samples in pain, fatigue, functional disability, anxiety, depression and mastery. Generally, it was found that patients with higher restrictions experienced more pain and fatigue, more anxiety and depression and reported lower mastery. Similar pattern of differences concerning disease activity and self-esteem was found mainly in the established group. Conclusions: The study shows that the level of perceived restrictions in social participation are highly relevant regarding the disease related variables such as pain, fatigue and functional disability as well as psychological status and personal resources in both early and established RA. Implications for Rehabilitation Supporting involvement and participation of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis is important for decreasing the impact of RA symptoms on everyday life. Recognition and empowerment of individual resources such a mastery and self-esteem of RA patients could be beneficial for overcoming restrictions in participation. Keywords: Anxiety, depression, functional disability, participation, rheumatoid arthriti