The report of posttraumatic growth in Malaysian cancer patients:relationships with psychological distress and coping strategies

Objective: The challenge of a cancer diagnosis may eventually lead to the experience of positive psychological changes, also referred to as posttraumatic growth. As most research on posttraumatic growth in cancer patients has been conducted in Western countries, little is known about the experience of such positive psychological changes in non-Western countries. Therefore, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the prevalence of posttraumatic growth in a Malaysian sample of cancer patients. Secondly, we examined the association of posttraumatic growth with patients' report of psychological distress and their use of coping strategies. Methods: The study was conducted in 113 cancer patients. Posttraumatic growth was measured by the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, coping strategies by the brief COPE, and psychological distress by the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R). Results: Results showed that many patients reported posttraumatic growth, mostly in the domain of appreciation of life. As hypothesized, the experience of posttraumatic growth was not significantly related to the level of psychological distress. Findings indicated that greater use of the coping strategies instrumental support, positive reframing, and humor was associated with more posttraumatic growth. Conclusion: Overall, this study suggests that posttraumatic growth is not only a Western phenomenon. Malaysian cancer patients show similar trends in the report of growth as well as in its correlates as their Western counterparts. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Delivering mindfulness in the classroom via a technology-enabled approach:Feasibility and the potential impact on teachers' psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and mindfulness

This longitudinal study included 64 teachers. We examined the feasibility and preliminary effects of a newly designed program, playing pre-recorded mindfulness practices to elementary school students by teachers across one school year. Self-report surveys and logbooks were used to collect data quantitative and qualitative data. During the first four months of implementation, teachers reported significant improvements in self-efficacy in classroom management and lower levels of perceived stress. Levels of mindfulness increased significantly and gradually throughout the school year. Qualitative results underlined potential changes in teachers’ outcomes, suggesting a calming effect and perceived improvement in their teaching skills.</p

Delivering mindfulness in the classroom via a technology-enabled approach:Feasibility and the potential impact on teachers' psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and mindfulness

This longitudinal study included 64 teachers. We examined the feasibility and preliminary effects of a newly designed program, playing pre-recorded mindfulness practices to elementary school students by teachers across one school year. Self-report surveys and logbooks were used to collect data quantitative and qualitative data. During the first four months of implementation, teachers reported significant improvements in self-efficacy in classroom management and lower levels of perceived stress. Levels of mindfulness increased significantly and gradually throughout the school year. Qualitative results underlined potential changes in teachers’ outcomes, suggesting a calming effect and perceived improvement in their teaching skills.</p

Delivering mindfulness in the classroom via a technology-enabled approach:Feasibility and the potential impact on teachers' psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and mindfulness

This longitudinal study included 64 teachers. We examined the feasibility and preliminary effects of a newly designed program, playing pre-recorded mindfulness practices to elementary school students by teachers across one school year. Self-report surveys and logbooks were used to collect data quantitative and qualitative data. During the first four months of implementation, teachers reported significant improvements in self-efficacy in classroom management and lower levels of perceived stress. Levels of mindfulness increased significantly and gradually throughout the school year. Qualitative results underlined potential changes in teachers’ outcomes, suggesting a calming effect and perceived improvement in their teaching skills.</p

Delivering mindfulness in the classroom via a technology-enabled approach:Feasibility and the potential impact on teachers' psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and mindfulness

This longitudinal study included 64 teachers. We examined the feasibility and preliminary effects of a newly designed program, playing pre-recorded mindfulness practices to elementary school students by teachers across one school year. Self-report surveys and logbooks were used to collect data quantitative and qualitative data. During the first four months of implementation, teachers reported significant improvements in self-efficacy in classroom management and lower levels of perceived stress. Levels of mindfulness increased significantly and gradually throughout the school year. Qualitative results underlined potential changes in teachers’ outcomes, suggesting a calming effect and perceived improvement in their teaching skills.</p

Stress appraisal and emotion regulation mediate the association between mindfulness and affect in cancer patients:Differential mechanisms for positive and negative affect

Objective: Cancer patients are at an increased risk for affective problems, including feelings of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness has been linked to an array of benefits for affective functioning in various populations including cancer patients, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are still poorly understood. Based on emotion-regulation and stress-coping models, this study examined the potential mediating role of stress appraisal and coping strategies in the associations between mindfulness and cancer patients' positive and negative affect.Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 245 cancer patients completed self-report questionnaires measuring mindfulness (FFMQ), positive and negative affect (PANAS), stress appraisal (SPSI-R:S), coping through positive reappraisal and positive refocusing (CERQ), rumination (RRQ), and distraction (COPE). Serial mediation analyses were conducted using the regression-based bootstrapping method.Results: Higher levels of mindfulness were associated with higher levels of positive affect; this relationship was mediated via stress appraisal and positive reappraisal. We also found an indirect effect from mindfulness directly via positive reappraisal to positive affect. In addition, higher levels of mindfulness were negatively associated with negative affect; this relationship was mediated via stress appraisal and rumination, with also an indirect effect from mindfulness directly via stress appraisal to negative affect.Conclusions: Results suggest that stress appraisal and distinct coping strategies mediate the relationship between mindfulness and affect. Mindfulness may provide benefits for cancer patients' affect by allowing adaptive stress appraisal and ways of coping through more positive and less negative thinking.</p

Positive Self-Compassion, Self-Coldness, and Psychological Outcomes in College Students:a Person-Centered Approach

Objectives Self-compassion is related to psychological outcomes. By examining wholistic concept of self-compassion, previous research has overlooked the possibility that people may differ in combination of positive self-compassion and self-coldness. This study, using a person-centered approach, aimed to identify subgroups of college students based on different profiles of positive self-compassion and self-coldness. We also examined how these profiles related to socio-demographic variables as well as psychological outcomes.  Methods This cross-sectional study included 1029 Chinese college students. Self-reported questionnaires were used to collect levels of positive self-compassion and self-coldness (including six facets) and psychological outcomes (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, negative affect, and positive affect). A latent profile analysis was performed to identify different profiles based on the six facets. The Bolck-Croon-Hagenaars approach was used to examine how profiles related to socio-demographic variables and psychological outcomes. Results Five distinct profiles were identified: high self-coldness, low self-compassion (16.2%), high self-compassion, low self-coldness (17.2%), average self-compassion, average self-coldness (38.9%), low self-compassion, low self-coldness (17.5%), and high self-compassion, high self-coldness (10.2%). Older people tended to report high self-compassion, high self-coldness profile, and females tended to have high self-coldness, low self-compassion profile. People with high self-compassion, low self-coldness profile reported the best psychological outcomes, whereas those in high self-coldness, low self-compassion and high self-compassion, high self-coldness profiles experienced the worst outcomes. Conclusions We identified five subgroups with different combinations of the six facets of self-compassion and self-coldness. People with distinct profiles differed on psychological outcomes. Future research is needed to adopt longitudinal design and replicate our findings in different groups

Stress appraisal and emotion regulation mediate the association between mindfulness and affect in cancer patients:Differential mechanisms for positive and negative affect

Objective: Cancer patients are at an increased risk for affective problems, including feelings of anxiety and depression. Mindfulness has been linked to an array of benefits for affective functioning in various populations including cancer patients, but the mechanisms underlying this relationship are still poorly understood. Based on emotion-regulation and stress-coping models, this study examined the potential mediating role of stress appraisal and coping strategies in the associations between mindfulness and cancer patients' positive and negative affect.Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 245 cancer patients completed self-report questionnaires measuring mindfulness (FFMQ), positive and negative affect (PANAS), stress appraisal (SPSI-R:S), coping through positive reappraisal and positive refocusing (CERQ), rumination (RRQ), and distraction (COPE). Serial mediation analyses were conducted using the regression-based bootstrapping method.Results: Higher levels of mindfulness were associated with higher levels of positive affect; this relationship was mediated via stress appraisal and positive reappraisal. We also found an indirect effect from mindfulness directly via positive reappraisal to positive affect. In addition, higher levels of mindfulness were negatively associated with negative affect; this relationship was mediated via stress appraisal and rumination, with also an indirect effect from mindfulness directly via stress appraisal to negative affect.Conclusions: Results suggest that stress appraisal and distinct coping strategies mediate the relationship between mindfulness and affect. Mindfulness may provide benefits for cancer patients' affect by allowing adaptive stress appraisal and ways of coping through more positive and less negative thinking.</p

Delivering mindfulness in the classroom via a technology-enabled approach:Feasibility and the potential impact on teachers' psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and mindfulness

This longitudinal study included 64 teachers. We examined the feasibility and preliminary effects of a newly designed program, playing pre-recorded mindfulness practices to elementary school students by teachers across one school year. Self-report surveys and logbooks were used to collect data quantitative and qualitative data. During the first four months of implementation, teachers reported significant improvements in self-efficacy in classroom management and lower levels of perceived stress. Levels of mindfulness increased significantly and gradually throughout the school year. Qualitative results underlined potential changes in teachers’ outcomes, suggesting a calming effect and perceived improvement in their teaching skills.</p